Class 



Book 

PRESENTED BY 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 
AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 



% €uttt\iwm 

ON THE 

DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH 



BY THE 

Key. K. H. NELSON 



NEW YORK 
JAMES POTT & CO., CHURCH PUBLISHERS 
1888 



Copyright, 1888, by 
R. H. KELSON. 

Bequest 
Albert Adsit Clemona 
Aug. 24, 1938 
(Not available for exchange) 



Press of J. J. Little & Co., 
Astor Place, New York. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

' God . . , . . . .5 

The Holy Trinity . 7 

The Creation 9 

The Fall and Original Sin 12 

The Promise of a Redeemer . . .14 

The Covenants . . . * . 15 

The Preparation of the World for The Redeemer . 20 

The Messiah ..... 22 

The Christ 24 

The Incarnation . . . . 26 

Redemption . . . . . .29 

Salvation . . . . . 31 

The Work of Christ on Earth . . .33 

The Ascension . . . . . 36 

The Coming of the Holy Ghost . . .39 

The Church of Christ .... 42 

The Church's Ministry . . . .46 

The Church's Faith .... 49 

The Bible 52 

The Sacraments — Holy Baptism . . 54 

The Sacraments — Holy Communion . . 57 

Confirmation . . . . 62 

Matrimony . . . . . .65 

Holy Orders ..... 66 

Church History . . . . .69 

History of the Book of Common Prayer . 76 

The Book of Common Prayer . . .78 

The Order of Morning Prayer ... 80 

The Litany . . . . ,84 

The Order for Evening Prayer ... 85 

The Holy Communion . . . .87 

The Christian Year . . . . 91 

Church Ornaments, Symbols and Rituals . . 112 

Death . . . . . . 122 

Paradise . . . . ... 123 

Heaven . . . . . . 125 



Bequest 
Albert Adsit demons 
Aug. 24, 1938 

(Kot available for exchange) 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 



Chapter I. 

GOD. 

Question. Who is God ? 
Answer. God is the maker and ruler of all 
things. 

Q. Where do we learn that there is a God ? 

A. From the world which He has made, and 
from the message which He has sent. 

Q. How does the world prove that there is 
a God? 

A. We know that some one must have made 
the world. 



6 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. If you should look out of your window, 
some morning, and see a new house being 
built, what would you ask? 

A. I would ask who was building it. 

Q. Could it not build itself? 

A. No. 

Q. Could it come there by chance ? 
A. No. 

Q. Could the world be made by mere chance ? 

A. No ; we can see that some one must have 
made the world and all things in it. 

Q. In what other way do we know that 
there is a God ? 

A. He has sent to tell us about Himself. 

Q. Whom has He sent? 

A. In olden times He sent prophets and 
wise men. 

Q. Whom did He send at last ? 

A. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ. 

Q. "Whom has He sent since then ? 

A. The Apostles and teachers of His Church. 

Q. Where do we read about these messages 
of God? 

A. In the Bible. 

Q. What does God do for us? 

A. He makes the earth bring forth food for 
our bodies, and He also cares for our souls. 



GOD. 



7 



Q. How does God care for our souls ? 
A. He helps us to keep from evil and to do 
good. 

Q. Why does He take such care of us? 
A. Because He loves us as His own children. 



Chapter II. 

THE HOLY TRINITY. 

Q. How many Gods are there? 

A. There is only one God. 

Q. Give a text from the Old Testament to 
prove that there is only one God. 

A. Dsnteronomy vi. 4. " Hear, O Israel : 
The Lord our God is one Lord." 

Q. Give a text from the New Testament to 
prove this. 

A. 1 Cor. viii. 4. " There is none other God 
but one." 

Q. "What do you mean by the Holy Trinity ? 
A. I mean that there are three Persons in 
one God. 

Q. Can you understand how this is ? 



8 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. No, but I believe it because God has 
told us in His word that it is true. 

Q. What names are given to these three 

Persons ? 

A. They are called God the Father, God 
the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 

Q. Is each of these Persons God ? 

A. Yes, the Father is God, the Son is God 
and the Holy Ghost is God. 

Q. Are there, then, three Gods ? 

A. No ; these Three are one God. 

Q. Give a text to show that the Father is 
God. 

A. 1 Cor. viii. 6. "There is but one God, 
the Father, of whom are all things." 

Q. Give a text to show that the Son is God. 

A. 1 John v. 20. " We are in Him that is 
true even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the 
true God, and eternal life." 

Q. Give a text to show that the Holy Ghost 
is God. 

A. Acts v. 3, 4. " But Peter said, Ananias, 
why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the 
Holy Ghost. . . Thou hast not lied unto 
men, but unto God." 

Q. You have shown that each of the Three 
is God, and that these Three are One, now 
show that they are separate Persons. 



THE CREATION. 



9 



A. When our Lord Jesus Christ was bap- 
tized, the Heavens opened, the Holy Ghost 
descended upon Him like a dove, and the Father 
spoke at the same time from Heaven. 

Q. Were there, at that time, three separate 
Persons, seen or heard at once ? 

A. Yes; the Father in Heaven, the Son 
upon earth, and the Holy Ghost descending 
from the Father to the Son. 



Chapter III. 

THE CREATION. 

Q. What does the word " Create" mean ? 
A. It means " to make." 
Q. Where do we read about the creation of 
the world? 

A. In the first chapter of the Bible. 
Q. Who created all things ? 
A. God. 

Q. Who wrote the story of the creation ? 
A. Moses. 

Q. How long after the creation did Moses 
live? 



10 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. About twenty-live hundred years. 

Q. How did Moses know what to write? 

A. God showed him. 

Q. "Was everything created at once? 

A. No, God divided the work of the crea- 
tion into six parts. 

Q. How long did God take to create each 
part ? 

A. One day. 

Q. How long were those days? 
A. No one can tell. 

Q. Were they days of twenty-four hours ? 
A. Probably not. 
Q. Why do you think so ? 
A. Because when the first days were 
counted there was no sun or moon. 

Q. May these days have meant many years ? 
A. Yes. 

Q. What then does the Bible teach us 
about creation ? 

A. The Bible gives us the order in which 
all things were made, and declares that God 
was the Creator. 

Q. What was created on the first day ? 

A. The light. 

Q. What was done on the second day ? 
A. God made the Firmament. 



THE CREATION. 



11 



Q. What was done on the third day ? 

A. God divided the dry land from the seas, 
and He made the earth bring forth grass and 
herbs and trees. 

Q. What was done on the fourth day? 

A. God created the sun and moon and stars. 

Q. What was done on the fifth day? 

A. God created fish in the seas and fowls in 
the air. 

Q. What was done on the sixth day ? 
A. God created the beasts of the earth and 
man. 

Q. How did God create man ? 

A. God made man's body from the dust of 
the ground, and then breathed into him the 
breath of life. 

Q. Did G : od make man higher than the ani- 
mals? 

A. Yes. God made man in His own image. 

Q. Whom did God give to man to be a 
companion and a help to him ? 

A. God gave him woman. 

Q. How did God make the woman ? 

A. God made the man fall into a deep 
sleep, and then took from his side one of his 
ribs, from which He made woman. 

Q. Does the Bible tell us how God could do 
all this ? 



12 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. No, the Bible only tells us that it was 
done, but we know that God can do all things. 



Chapter iy. 

THE FALL AND ORIGINAL SIN. 

Q. When God had made Adam and Eve 
He placed them in a beautiful garden ; what 
did He then tell them not to do ? 

A. He told them not to eat of the tree of 
Knowledge of good and evil. 

Q. Did they obey Him ? 

A. No, the Devil in the form of a serpent 
tempted them and they disobeyed. 

Q. How did God punish them for this ? 

A. God sent them out of the Garden. 

Q. What do you call disobeying God ? 

A. Sin. 

Q. What is the punishment of those who 
sin? 

A. They cannot live with God. 
Q. When Adam and Eve had been sent out 
from God's presence did they find it harder to 

be good ? 



THE FALL AND ORIGINAL SIN. 



13 



A. Yes, they found that a desire to do 
wrong had entered into them. 

Q. What did they have to do ? 

A. They had to fight against the desire to 
do evil. 

Q. Have all men since that time been like 
Adam and Eve after they fell ? 

A. Yes ; all are born in sin. 

Q. What do you mean by being born in 
sin? 

A. First, I mean that all men are shut out 
of God's presence, so that they cannot see 
Him; and secondly that all men are born 
with a nature which makes it harder for them 
to do good than to do evil. 

Q. Can we ever see God so long as this sin 
lives in us ? 

A. No, nothing sinful can see God. 

Q. Can man ever shake off this sin by him- 
self? 

A. No, God alone can take it away. 

Q. Did God promise Adam and Eve that 
He would do this ? 

A. Yes, He promised to send a Saviour 
into the world. 

Q. Did God help men, in old times to fight 
against sin? 



14 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. Yes, He watched over them, and showed 
tliem what to do. 



Chapter V. 

THE PROMISE OF A REDEEMER. 

Q. What promise did God make to Eve ? 

A. He promised to send a Redeemer. 

Q. What is a Redeemer ? 

A. One who buys back something. 

Q. What was to be bought back ? 

A. The race of man. 

Q. From whom was man to be bought ? 

A. From Satan and from Death. 

Q. Give the words of Scripture which 
promise a Redeemer ? 

A. God said to the serpent, " I will put 
enmity between thee and the woman, and 
between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise 
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." * 

Q. Who is meant by the serpent ? 

A. The Devil. 

Q. Who is meant by the seed of the woman? 
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ. 



THE COVENANTS. 



15 



Q. How should Christ bruise the Devil's 
head? 

A. This means that Christ should destroy 
the Devil and his works. 

Q. It was said that the Devil should bruise 
Christ's heel ; what was meant by this ? 

A. This means that Christ Himself must 
suffer in destroying the Devil. 

Q. How does Christ bruise the Devil's head ? 

A. Christ has redeemed mankind from sin, 
and He will at the last destroy the Devil. 

Q. How did the Devil bruise Christ's heel ? 

A. The Devil moved men to crucify Christ. 

Q. Did this destroy Christ ? 

A. No, it was like a little wound in a man's 
heel. Christ rose from the dead to live for- 
ever more. 



Chapter VI. 

THE COVENANTS. 

Q. After the fall, how did God keep men 
together ? 

A. God joined all men who would obey 
Him into one great family. 



16 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What did God agree to do to them ? 

A. God agreed to care for them as His own 
people if they would serve and obey Him. 

Q. What name is given to this kind of an 
agreement ? 

A. It is called a covenant. 

Q. Was it made with each man separately, 
or with whole families and nations ? 

A. With families first, and nations after- 
ward. 

Q. What did the people have to do as their 
share of the Covenant? 

A. They had to believe in God and to serve 
Him. 

Q. What did God promise to do if they 
kept their part of the agreement ? 

A. He promised to make a great and happy 
nation of them. 

Q. Has God always had His own chosen 
people ? 

A. Yes. God has always kept one family 
or nation to serve Him. 

Q. Why was this necessary ? 

A. Because the world is evil, and it has been 
necessary that one family or nation should keep 
the true religion. 

Q. What families did God first choose? 



THE COVENANTS. 



17 



A. He chose the families of Noah and 
Abraham. 

Q. What larger family did He next choose ? 

A. He chose the family of Jacob or Israel. 

Q. Did the children of Israel become a 
great nation ? 

A. Yes, one of the greatest in the world. 

Q. Did these families and nations keep the 
true religion of God ? 

A. Yes, though they sinned often and were 
punished, they never lost 4 the truth. 

Q. What name may be given to the chosen 
people ? 

A. They were the Church of God. 

Q. What was the Church at first ? 

A. The Church of the patriarchs or fathers. 

Q. What was the next step in the life of 
the Church? 

A. It became the Church of the Israelites. 

Q. Were the Israelites ever divided ? 

A. Yes, they were divided into two king- 
doms, Israel and Judah. 

Q' Which of these kept God's truth? 

A. The Kingdom of Judah, although it was 
the smaller of the two. 

Q. What are the people of Judah called ? 

A. The Jews. 



18 



THE CHRISTIAN FAfTH. 



Q. What were God's chosen people called 
at last ? 

A. The Christian Church. 

Q. Is the Christian Church made up from 
any one family or nation ? 

A. No, it is made up of people chosen from 
every nation. 

Q. What then do you mean by the Church ? 

A. I mean the family or the chosen people 
of God. 

Q. What has the Church always had ? 

A. The Church has always had appointed 
ministers and a form of public worship? 

Q. Who were the ministers appointed by 
God in the Church of the Patriarchs ? 

A. The head of the family was the priest. 

Q. Who were appointed ministers in the 
Church of the Israelites ? 

A. God appointed a High priest, Priests and 
Levites. 

Q. What was the principal act of worship 
among the patriarchs and the Israelites ? 

A. They offered sacrifices to God to show 
their sorrow for their sins. 

Q. What more did these sacrifices show ? 

A. The sacrifices showed that the people 
and all that they had belonged to God. 



THE COVENANTS. 



19 



Q, Did all the people join in these sacrifices? 

A. Yes, they were all present and they 
offered the sacrifices to God through their 
priests. 

Q. Was all this part of their life, as God's 
family ? 

A. Yes, it was a family or covenant act. 

Q. Could children be members of the 
Church then? 

A. Yes, children were members of God's 
family. 

Q. How old did children have to be, before 
they could be received into the Church of the 
Israelites ? 

A. They were made members of the Church 
when they were eight days old. 

Q. Why were they received into the Church 
when they were so young ? 

A. So that they might grow up in the 
Church learning to know God and to serve 
Him. 



20 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Chapter VII. 

The Preparation of the World for The 

Redeemer. 

Q. Did the people of Israel and the Jews 
look forward to the coming of the Redeemer 
whom God had promised ? 

A. Yes, they believed God's promise. 

Q. Did God teach men anything about the 
Redeemer who was to come ? 

A. Yes, God sent to men messages through 
His prophets and teachers. 

Q. Who was the greatest of these prophets? 

A. Moses the law-giver. 

Q. What was the law that God gave by 
Moses ? 

A. The Ten Commandments. 

Q. What else did God command Moses to 
teach the people ? 

A. God told Moses to teach the people how 
to worship Him. 

Q. What was the principal thing in the wor- 
• ship of the Israelites ? 

A. Sacrifice, or the killing and offering of 
animals to God. 



PREPARATION OF THE WORLD, Etc. 21 

Q. What did tlie people mean by these sac- 
rifices ? 

A. They meant to say that they owed some^ 
thing to God because they had sinned against 
Him, 

Q. What punishment is due from those who 
sin? 

A. The punishment of sin is death. (Gene- 
sis ii. 17, Romans vi. 23.) 

Q. How was this truth shown in the sac^ 
rifices of the law of Moses ? 

A. The people offered to God the death of 
animals, as if to show that they themselves de- 
served to die for their sins, 

Q. In whose name did Moses the law-giver 
speak ? 

A. He spoke in God's name. 

Q. How did the people know that Moses 
was sent from God ? 

A. God performed great wonders by the 
hand of Moses to show that He had sent him. 

Q. After this, what did God order to be 
done to those men whom He sent to act in 
His name ? 

A. They were to be anointed with oil. 

Q. Who were anointed ? 

A. Priests, Kings and sometimes Prophets. 



22 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. Give the name of one who was anointed 
to be a Priest. 

A. Aaron. (Read Leviticus viii.) 

Q. Give the name of one who was anointed 
to be a King ? 

A. David. (Samuel xvi. 13 — Psalm 
lxxxix. 20.) 

Q. Give the name of some one who was 
anointed to be a Prophet. 

A. Elisha. (L Kings xix. 16.) 

Q. What sign did God give the people to 
assure them of His presence with them ? 

A. A shining cloud. 

Q. Give instances of God's appearing in 
this way. 

A. He appeared to them when He led them 
out of Egypt. (Exodus xiii. 21): At Mt. 
Sinai (Exodus xix. 9, 16, 17, 18): and in the 
places of worship which He appointed (Ex- 
odus xl. 31-38—1. Kings viii. 10, 11.) 



Chapter VIII. 

THE MESSIAH. 

Q. "What were the people taught to expect 
that the Redeemer would be ? 

A. They were taught that He would be a 



THE MESSIAH. 



23 



Prophet (Deuteronomy xviii. 15), a Priest 
(Psalm ex. 4), and a King (Jeremiah xxiii. 
5, 6). 

Q. What does the word Messiah mean ? 

A. It means " The anointed one." 

Q. How was the Redeemer to be anointed ? 

A. He was to be anointed by the Holy 
Ghost as Prophet, Priest and King. 

Q. What was He to do as Prophet ? 

A. He was to declare God's truth to men. 

Q. What was He to do as Priest? 

A. He was to offer a sacrifice for the sins 
of the world. 

. Q. What was He to do as King ? 

A. He was to gather all men into a Heav- 
enly Kingdom of which He should be the 
Head. 

Q. What wonderful thing did the prophets 
teach concerning the birth of Messiah ? 

A. He was to be born of a virgin.- (Isaiah 
vii. 14). (Matthew i. 18-25). 

Q. Where did the prophets say that Messiah 
should be born ? 

A. In Bethlehem of Judsea. (Mich. v. 2.) 

Q. From what nation was it said that He 
would come? 

A. From the nation of the Jews (Genesis 



24 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



xlix. 10), and from the family of King David, 
(Psalm cxxxii. 11). 

Q. What did the Jews eipect that Messiah 
would do ? 

A. They thought that He would be a man 
of war and would destroy their enemies. 

Q. Were they right in thinking so ? 

A. No, He was to be a Prince of Peace and 
a Saviour of men's souls. 



Chapter IX. 

THE CHRIST. 

Q. What does the word Christ mean ? 

A. It means the same as Messiah. 

Q. Did the Messiah or Christ ever come ? 

A. Yes. He was born as the prophets had 
said in Bethlehem of Judaea. (Matthew ii. 1-6. 
Luke i. 32.) 

Q. Who was His mother ? 

A. The blessed Virgin Mary. 

Q. How long ago was He born ? 

A. Nearly nineteen hundred years ago. 

Q. Was he born in a palace like a King ? 

A. No, He came poor and lowly, and was 
born in the stable of an inn. 



THE CHRIST. 



25 



Q. Why was this ? 

A. His parents were going to Bethlehem to 
be taxed, and there was no place for them to 
lodge except in the stable of an inn. (S. Luke 
ii, 1-7). 

Q. Who first came to worship Christ ? 

A. Some shepherds who were watching their 
flocks near Bethlehem. (S. Luke ii. 8-16). 

Q. How did the shepherds know that Christ 
was born ? 

A. Angels came from Heaven to tell them. 

Q. What did they find when they came to 
the manger ? 

A. They found the young Child, with Mary 
His mother, and Joseph. 

Q. Who was Joseph ? 

A. He was the husband of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. 

Q. Why do you call her " blessed ? " 

H. Because God honored her above all 
creatures. 

Q. What prophecy did she herself utter con- 
cerning this word " blessed ? " 

A. She said " Behold, from henceforth all 
generations shall call me blessed." (Luke 
i. 48). 

Q. Ought we to pray to her or worship her ? 



2Q 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. No, it is sinful to worship any one or 
anything except God. (Revelation xxii. 8, 9). 

Q. What is the true way of honoring her? 

A. By following the example of her holy 
life. 

Q. Who besides the shepherds came to wor- 
ship the Christ ? 

A. Wise men from the East were led by a 
star to Christ in Bethlehem. 

Q. What did the Jews call all people who 
did not belong to their nation ? 

A. All who were not Jews were called 
Gentiles. 

Q. What do we learn about the Gentiles 
from this visit of the wise men ? 

A. We learn that Christ came to save all 
men, the Gentiles as well as the Jews. 



Chapter X. 

THE INCARNATION. 

Q. We have been learning about Christ and 
His birth: Who is Christ ? 

A. Christ is the Son of God, the second 
Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

Q. Is He Himself very God ? 



THE INCARNATION. 



27 



A. Yes, He is Very God of Very God. 
(Nicene Creed.) 

Q. What did God the Son do for us ? 

A. He became man, for our salvation. 

Q. "Was He perfect God after He became 
man? 

A. Yes, He is perfect God and perfect 
man. 

Q. Can you understand this ? 

A. No, it is a mystery of our Holy Faith. 

Q. How do we know that Christ is man? 

A. Because He was born with a human 
body, He was tempted, He suffered, and He 
died. 

Q. How do we know that He is God ? 

A. Because He rose again from the dead, 
and ascended into Heaven; and beside this, 
He said that He was God (S. John, x. 30, 
xiv. 9). 

Q. What name was given to Him to show 
that He is both God and man? 

A. He was called Emmanuel, which is a 
Hebrew word, meaning " God with us." 

Q. What name was given to Him when He 
became man? 

A. The sacred name of Jesus. 

Q. For what purpose did God become man? 



28 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. God became man so as to raise man up 
from death to life. 

Q. How did God do this? 

A. He joined the nature of sinful man to 
the nature of the Holy God. 

Q. What is this act of God called? 

A. The Incarnation. 

Q. Did God come to be with us always? 

A. Yes, even to the end of the world (S. 
Matthew xxviii. 20). 

Q. Can we see Him now? 

A. No, but He is always with us. 

Q. Can we, too, be joined to God ? 

A. Yes, all men can become members of 
Christ. 

Q. How did you become a member of 
Christ? 

A. " In Baptism; wherein I was made a 
member of Christ, the child of God, and an 
inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven." 

Q. Give a text of Scripture which shows 
that this is true % 

A. " For as the body is one, and hath many 
members, and all the members of that one 
body, being many, are one body: so also is 
Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized 
into one body." (1 Corinthians xii„ 12, 13). 



REDEMPTION. 



29 



Q. What does our Lord Himself teach us 
about our union with Him ? 

A. He has said : "I am the vine, ye are the 
branches." (S. John xv. 5). 

Q. Why must we be joined to Christ ? 

A. So that He may help us to live well now, 
and may afterward take us to dwell with Him 
in Heaven. 



Chapter XL 

REDEMPTION. 

Q. What have we learned about Redemp- 
tion? 

A. Redemption means "buying back" 
something. 

Q. Whose servants have men been ever 
since Adam and Eve fell? 

A. The servants of Sin and Satan. 

Q. How could men become free from Sin 
and Satan. 

A. Only by paying the price of their free- 
dom. 

Qo Could men do this ? 

A. No, the price was too great. 



80 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. Who alone could pay this debt ? 
A. God. 

Q. Would it have been right for God in 
Heaven to pay the debt? 

A. No, man owed the debt, and it was right 
that man should pay it. 

Q. What was done? 

A. God, who could pay the debt, became 

man., 

Q. What good did this do ? 

A. God, who could pay the debt, and man, 
who owed it, were joined in the person of 
Jesus Christ. 

Q. What punishment is due from those who 
sin ? 

A. The punishment of sin is death. 

Q. Did Jesus Christ pay this debt for all 

men? 

A. Yes, He died in the name of all man- 
kind, thus redeeming them by His Precious 
Blood. 

Q. Was it possible after this for all men to 

be saved? 

A. Yes, the death of Jesus Christ opened 
the way from earth to Heaven, and all w^ho 
w r ill may walk in it. 



SALVATION. 



31 



Chapter XII. 

SALVATION. 

Q. What does salvation mean ? 
A. It means being saved. 
Q. Is it the same as redemption ? 
A. No, redemption offers all men the gift 
of life, salvation comes to those who accept the 

gift. 

Q. If you were starving and some one should 
give you bread, what would you have to do ? 

A. I would have to take and eat the bread. 

Q. Would it help you any to have the bread 
before you if you did not eat it ? 

A. No, I would starve. 

Q. Redemption offers you eternal life, but 
what must you do on your part ? 

A. I must take the gift and use it. 

Q. What then is salvation ? 

A . Salvation is being really saved. 

Q. Are all men redeemed now ? 

A. Yes, all men have been redeemed. 

Q. Are all men saved ? 

A. No, not yet ; men must work out their 
own salvation. (Philippians ii. 12). 
Q. How are we to do this ? 



32 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. By trying to do God's will and to kee 
His commandments. 

Q. Who helps us to do this ? 

A. God helps us by His grace. 

Q. How does our Saviour help us ? 

A. He has joined us to Himself, and H 
gives us His strength through the Hoi 
Spirit. 

Q. What two parts are there then in Christ 
work for us ? 

A. He has redeemed us by His death. H 
will save us by the power of His life. 

Q. How do Christians take the gift of salv 
tion? 

A. By believing and being baptized int 
Christ. 

Q. Can people who died before Christ cam 
be saved ? 

A. Yes. for they believed in God's promis 
of a Redeemer. 

Q. How may we believe that God wil 
judge the heathen who have never heard o 
His salvation ? 

A. "We may believe that God will receiv 
them if they follow what their consciences tel 
them to be right. (Romans ii. 14—16). 

Q. How has God given all men some oppor 
tunity of knowing Him ? 



THE WORK OF CHRIST ON EARTH. 33 



A. He has spoken to all men through His 
works in themselves and the world of nature. 
(Komans i. 19, 20). 

Q. What is our duty toward all who have 
not heard of God and His salvation ? 

A. We must do all in our power to send 
the knowledge of God to all nations (S. Mark 
xvi. 15). 



Chapter XIII. 

' THE WORK OF CHRIST ON EARTH. 

Q. How long did the ministry of Christ on 
earth continue ? 

A. For about three years. 

Q. What did our Lord teach men during 
this time? 

A. He taught them the meaning of all that 
God had promised to His chosen people. 

Q. How did He show that the promises of 
God were to be fulfilled ? 

A. He showed that what the prophets had 
taught about Messiah was to be fulfilled in 
Him. 



34 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Q. How did Christ fulfil the promise that 
He would be a king? 

A. He chose His Apostles or officers, and 
with them He went about preaching the king- 
dom of Heaven and its laws. 

Q. How did He fulfil the promise that He 
would be a prophet ? 

A. By word and deed, He taught men the 
power and the loving mercy of God. 

Q. How did He fulfil the promise that He 
would be a Priest ? 

A. He offered Himself to God in His death 
upon the Cross, as a sacrifice for the sins of 
the world. 

Q. Where did He offer this sacrifice ? 

A. He offered it on the Cross at Jerusalem 
before a great multitude of all nations, before 
the angels of Heaven, and before God Him- 
self. 

Q. For whom did He offer this sacrifice? 

A. He offered it as a man, representing the 
human race. 

Q. How was it declared to men that God 
had accepted this sacrifice ? 

A. Christ rose again from the dead, and 
was thus acknowledged before Heaven and 
earth as God's triumphant Son. 



THE WORK OF CHRIST ON EARTH. 35 



Q. Did Christ continue His work on earth 
after He had risen from the dead ? 

A. Yes, He continued on earth for forty 
days, teaching His Apostles about His kingdom 
(Acts i. 2, 3). 

Q. What is meant by " the things pertaining 
to the kingdom of God ?" 

A. This means that He showed them what 
they . were to do and to teach in the Church. 

Q. How can we know what Christ taught 
the Apostles during those forty days ? 

A. We may learn what He taught by seeing 
what the Apostles did in obedience to His 
commands. 

Q. What did they do? 

A. They ordained other Apostles, with 
elders and deacons ; they admitted men into 
the Church by Baptism, and they administered 
confirmation. 

Q. What more did they do ? 

A. They preached the Gospel, and set in 
working order everything pertaining to the 
Church. 

Q. What day did they employ as a day of 
public worship instead of the Jewish Sabbath ? 

A. The first day of the week, which we 
call Sunday. 



36 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Q. How did they provide for the teaching 
of the Faith? 

A. They taught it at first by word of mouth, 
and afterward committed it to writing. 

Q. What great service of thanksgiving and 
prayer did they offer to God continually ? 

A. The memorial feast of the Holy Com- 
munion (Acts ii. 46). 

Q. What did our Lord do after He had 
showed His Apostles all this ? 

A. He promised to send them His Holy 
Spirit, and then He ascended into Heaven in 
their sight (Acts i. 8, 9). 



Chapter XIV. 

THE ASCENSION. 

Q. After our Lord Jesus Christ had finished 
His work on earth, where did He go ? 

A. He ascended into Heaven. 

Q. Where is He now ? 

A. In Heaven at the right hand of God. 

Q. What is He doing there? 

A. He is seated on His throne as the King 
of Heaven and Earth. 



THE ASCENSION. 



37 



Q. What is His Kingdom called ? 
A. The Kingdom of Heaven. 
Q. Is there a part of this Kingdom on 
earth ? 

A. Yes, the Church is the Kingdom of 
Heaven on earth. 

Q. Hbw is the Church a Kingdom? 

A. Because Christ is its King, and we who 
are members of the Church are Christ's people. 

Q. When did Christ take the throne in this 
Kingdom ? 

A. After He had conquered the enemies of 
His Church, He ascended to take His throne 
in Heaven (Ephesians i. 20-23). 

Q. What is the work of Christ for man 
called ? 

A. It is the work of a mediator. 

Q. What does mediator mean ? 

A. A mediator is one who stands between 
two persons acting for one toward the other. 

Q. Between what two persons does Christ 
stand as mediator ? 

A. Between God and man. 

Q. What has Christ done as mediator for 
all men ? 

A. He has offered Himself to God in death, 
for all men (Hebrews ix. 14, 15). 



38 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Q. How does He now stand as mediator be- 
tween God and man ? 

A. All men must be joined to Christ ii 
order that they may come to God (S. John 
xiv. 6). 

Q. How does Christ as mediator help us in 
our prayers ? 

A. He offers all our prayers to God in His 
own name ? 

Q. How must we present our prayers to 
God? 

A. In the name and through the merits of 
Jesus Christ. 

Q. How does Christ make our lives accept- 
able to God? 

A. Christ asks God to receive us for His 
sake (Hebrews vii. 25). 

Q. How does this help us ? 

A. The Father loves the Son, and He re- 
ceives our offerings for His sake. 

Q. How long will this mediatorial kingdom 
last? 

A. Until after the Judgment Day, when 
Christ will give up the kingdom to God the 
Father (I. Corinthians xv. 24-28). 



THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST. 39 



Chapter XV. 

THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST. 

Q. When Christ had ascended into Heaven, 
whom did He send to men on earth ? 

A. He sent the Holy Spirit as He had 
promised (John xvi. 7-15). 

Q. Is the Holy Spirit God ? 

A. Yes, He is God the Holy Ghost. 

Q. How long after Christ's Resurrection 
did the Holy Ghost come ? 

A. Fifty days. 

Q. On what festival of the Jews did this 
occur ? 

A. The Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus xxiii. 
15-21). 

Q. What does Pentecost mean ? 
A. Fiftieth. 

Q. Read the description of the descent of 
the Holy Ghost? 
A. Acts ii. 1-33. 

Q. How did the Holy Ghost appear to men ? 
A. He came down in the shape of tongues 
of fire. 

Q. Why did He appear in a shape that 
could be seen ? 



40 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. To show men that He had really come. 
Q. Do we see Plim now when He comes 
to ns ? 

A. No, but He comes to us just as truly as 
if we could see Him. 

Q. Why did the Holy Ghost come to men ? 

A. To teach them God's truth (John xiv. 
26) and to help them to do God's will. 

Q. What extraordinary gifts did the Holy 
Ghost bestow upon the first members of the 
Church? 

A. They were able to speak in different 
languages and to perform w r onderful signs, 

Q. Does the Holy Ghost now give men the 
same powers ? 

A. No, God gave these signs only at the 
beginning, to show the world that the Church 
was His kingdom and that He was present 
in it. 

Q. The extraordinary gifts of the Holy 
Ghost have ceased, but have the ordinary or 
regular gifts continued ? 

A. Yes, the Holy Ghost still teaches and 
guides the Church. 

Q. Which are the most important for us to 
have, the extraordinary or the ordinary gifts 
of the Holy Ghost? 



THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST. 41 



A. The ordinary or regular gifts are most 
important for us. 
Q. Why? 

A. Because the regular gifts of the Holy 
Ghost help us day by day to know God's will 
and to do it. 

Q. Do we need now to see signs and won- 
ders in order to believe ? 

A. No, it is enough for us to look back at 
the wonders which have been done in the 
past. 

Q. "What does this Holy Spirit do for as ? 

A. He brings to each of us the gifts of 
Christ (Ephesians iv. 7, 8), (John xiv. 16, 17). 

Q. What is the first regular work of the 
Holy Ghost towards men ? 

A. He makes them members of Christ in 
baptism (I. Cor. xii. 13). 

Q. What is His next work according to 
Christ's plan for the Church ? 

A. The Holy Ghost comes to strengthen 
men in Confirmation (Acts viii. 17). 

Q. What work of the Holy Ghost follows 
Confirmation ? 

A. He feeds us in the Holy Communion 
with the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Q. What more does He do in the Church ? 



42 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. He makes men ministers of the Church 
(Acts xx. 28), joins men and women in mar- 
riage, and administers all the blessings of God. 

Q. How does the Holy Ghost help us in our 
daily lives ? 

A. He puts good thoughts into our minds 
and helps us when we try to do right. 

Q. What may we say, then, about the work 
of God's Holy Spirit ? 

A. He brings to us every gift of God. 

Q. Ought we to pray to Him ? 

A. Yes, because He is God. 

Q. Is He very near to us ? 

A. Yes, He dwells within us, so that our 
bodies are called the " Temples of the Holy 
Ghost" (I. Corinthians iii. 16-17). 



Chapter XVI. 

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 

Q. What is the Church of Christ? 

A. The Church is a society, made up of all 
who are members of Christ. 

Q. How are men made members of Christ 
and of the Church ? 



THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 43 



A. In Holy Baptism (I. Corinthians xii. 12, 
13). 

Q. What is the Church called ? 

A. The Church is called the Body of Christ 
(Ephesians i. 22, 23). 

Q. How did our Saviour speak of His 
Church ? 

A. He called it the Kingdom of Heaven (S. 
Matthew xiii). 

Q. What are the members of the Church 
called? 

A. The "Elect," or the chosen people of 
God. 

Q. Were not the patriarchs and the Israel- 
ites members of God's Church ? 

A. Yes, they were God's chosen people. 

Q. Has there, really, been one Church from 
the beginning of the world ? 

A. Yes, God has always had one body of 
chosen people. 

Q. For what purpose are people chosen or 
called into Christ's Church ? 

A. They are called and chosen out of the 
world, to know God and to serve Him. 

Q. What is the duty of those who are so 
called? 

A. They must bear witness to Christ. 



44 - THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. - 



Q. What great gift of God shows that the 
Jewish and Christian Churches are really one ? 

A. The gift of God's presence in the 
Church. 

Q. What token of God's presence was given 
to the Jews? 

A. The sign of the " Shining Cloud." 

Q. What sign of a nearer presence than 
that declared by the cloud does God give in 
the Christian Church ? 

A. He gives us the outward signs of His 
Holy Sacraments to declare His presence with- 
in us. 

Q. What is the difference between the Jew- 
ish and the Christian Churches ? 

A. The Jewish Church looked forward to 
Christ ; the Christian Church is the Body of 
Christ. 

Q. Can there, now, be more than one 
Church ? 

A. No, there can only be one Body of 
Christ (Ephesians iv. 4, 5). 

Q. What is the Church called in the 
Apostles' Creed? 

A. " The Holy Catholic Church." 

Q. Why is the Church holy? 

A. First, because members of the Church 



THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 45 



are members of Christ ; secondly, because they 
receive God's Holy Spirit in baptism. 

Q. What does Catholic mean? 

A. It means " for all." 

Q. How is the Church made for all ? 

A. The Church is given for all men in every 
time and place, wherein to be saved. 

Q. How does the Church help men to be 
saved ? 

A. The Church teaches men the truth, and 
gives them the grace of God. 

Q. Cannot men be saved unless they are 
baptized members of the Church ? 

A. We cannot say what God is able to do 
outside of His appointed way, and we have 
no right to ask. 

Q. Why? , 

A. Because God has told us to be joined to 
the Church, in Christ, and we must not tempt 
God by asking what He will do if we refuse. 

Q. How, then, must we look upon the 
Church ? 

A. We must look upon the Church as God's 
regular appointed way toward salvation. 



40 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Chapter XYII. 

THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY. 

Q. What was the first thing that Christ did 
in forming His Church ? 

A. He appointed the officers or ministers 
of His Church (S. Matthew x.), (S. Matthew 
xxviii. 18-20), (S. John xx. 21). 

Q. What is the duty of ministers ? 

A. To teach people the truth. 

Q. Who were the first ministers of the 
Church ? 

A. The twelve Apostles. 

Q. Who appointed them to their office ? 

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ (S. John xx. 21). 

Q. What power was given them from 
above ? 

A. They received the grace of the Holy 
Ghost, at Pentecost. 

Q. How were all ministers to be appointed 
after this ? 

A. The Apostles and their successors had 
authority to appoint men to the ministry. 

Q. How did those who were appointed by 
the Apostles and others receive the Holy 
Ghost? 



THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY. 



47 



A. The Apostles laid their hands upon them, 
| and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts vi. 2- 
6), (II. Timothy i. 6). 

Q. Who alone had authority to appoint and 
ordain men to the ministry ? 

A. None but the Apostles and their success- 
ors in office. 

Q. Were any beside the first twelve called 
Apostles ? 

A. Yes. S. Matthias (Acts i. 26), S. Paul 
and S. Barnabas (Acts xiv. 14), Andronicus 
and Junia (Romans xvi. 7). 

Q. Were those who were appointed to this 
office to hand it on to others ? 

A. Yes (II. Timothy ii. 2 ; Titus i. 5). 

Q. Were those who held the office of 
Apostles always called Apostles ? 

A. No, after the first Apostles died their 
successors were called Bishops. 

Q. Could the Apostles appoint lower orders 
of ministers to do different kinds of work in 
the Church? 

A. Yes, they did appoint Elders and Deacons 
(Acts vi. 1-7). 

Q. How many orders or kinds of ministers 
did this make ? 

A. Three; Apostles, Elders and Deacons. 



43 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What were these three orders called after 
the time of the first Apostles ? 

A. They were called Bishops, Priests and 
Deacons. 

Q. Were they the same three orders of 
ministers as before their name was changed ? 

A. Yes, for they had the same duties and 
the same authority. 

Q. "What does the word Bishop mean as it 
is used in the New Testament ? 

A. It means the same as Elder, but after- 
ward it was used as the name of those who 
took the Apostles' work and office. 

Q. Why is it so important that we should 
have this order of Apostles or Bishops ? 

A. Because they alone have authority from 
Christ to ordain new ministers in the Church. 

Q. What would happen if we lost the order 
of Bishops? 

A. We would lose the succession of the 
ministry which Christ appointed. 

Q. Has the Church kept the succession of 
Bishops since the Apostles' time ? 

A. Yes, in an unbroken line. 

Q. What is this line called ? 

A. The Apostolic succession. 

Q. What are the duties of a Bishop ? 



THE CHURCH'S FAITH. 



49 



A. To rule over one of the larger parts of 
the Church ; to administer confirmation ; and 
to ordain ministers. 

Q. What are the duties of a Priest ? 

A. To teach and guide the people over 
whom he is placed. 

Q. What are the duties of a Deacon ? 

A. To help the Bishop and the Priest in 
their work. 



Chapter XYIII. 

THE CHURCH'S FAITH. 

Q. What is the Faith j. 

A. The Faith is the truth of God given to 
men to believe. 

Q. What three parts are there in the Chris- 
tian Faith ? 

A. First, the truth about God, the Father ; 
second, the truth about God, the Son ; third, 
the truth about God, the Holy Ghost. 

A. In what form do we learn and recite the 
articles of our Faith ? 

A. In the Creed. 

Q. What does "creed" mean? 

A. It is taken from a Latin word which 
means " I believe." 



50 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Q. What must we believe about God, the 
Father? 

A. We must believe that He is the maker 
and ruler of all things. 

Q. What must we believe about God, the 
Son? 

A. We must believe that He is the only 
Son of God, and is God Himself: that He 
came to earth, died for us, rose again and as- 
cended into Heaven. 

Q. What must we believe about. God, the 
Holy Ghost? 

A. We must believe that He is God, and 
that He dwells with us in the Church, giving us 
the gifts of Christ. 

Q. What are these gifts of Christ ? 

A. Membership in the Church, communion 
with the saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection 
of the body, and life everlasting. 

Q. Did men make up this Faith ? 

A. JN T o, God gave it to men. (Jude 3). 

Q. Can men ever change the Faith ? 

A. No, the truth is always the same. 

Q. What two forms of the Creed have we ? 

A. The Apostles' and the Is icene Creed. 

Q. To whom is the Apostles' Creed taught i 

A. To children and to those who wish to 
■join the Church. 



THE CHURCH'S FAITH. 



51 



Q. What is it sometimes called ? 

A. The Baptismal Creed. 

Q. Why is it called the Apostles' Creed? 

A. Because it has come to us from the 
Apostles' time. 

Q. Did the Apostles write it out just as it is? 

A. No, not exactly ; but they taught the 
Articles of the Creed, and their teachings were 
afterward collected into this form. 

Q. What is the Nicene Creed ? 

A. A longer and fuller definition of the 
Faith set f orth by a council of the Church at 
the city of Nice in Asia in the year 325, A. D. 

Q. Where is this Creed used in our public 
service ? 

A. It is used in the service of the Holy 
Communion. 

Q. Why is it used in that service ? 

A. Because those who join in the Holy 
Communion are the older members of the 
Church, who thus declare their Faith in its full 
form. 

Q. Must we believe all that is in the Creed ? 
A. Yes, we must believe if we wish to be 
saved. 



52 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 



Chapter XIX. 

THE BIBLE. 

Q. What does the word Bible mean ? 
A. It means " Book." 
Q. What is the Bible? 
A. The Bible is God's word. 
Q. Who wrote the Bible ? 
A. Many different men. 
Q. Who was the first of these ? 
A. Moses. 

Q. Who was the last J 
A. S. John. 
Q. How many years passed from the time 
of Moses to the time of S. John ? 
A. About 1600 years. 

Q. How is the Bible God's word if men 
wrote it? 

A. Because God, the Holy Ghost, filled the 
minds of men and made them write God's 
truth. 

Q. Do the Bible and the Creed teach the 
same thing ? 

A. Yes, in different ways. 

Q. What is the difference between them ? 



THE BIBLE. 



53 



A. The Creed sums up what the Bible teaches. 
Q. Did the Apostles have the Bible as we 
' have it ? 

A. No, they had only the first part, which 
L called the Old Testament. 

Q. How did the Apostles teach men ? 

A. The Apostles told men what they had 
seen and learned when they were with Jesus 
Christ. 

Q. Why did they afterward write the books 
of the New Testament ? 

A. So that all men who lived after them 
might learn the truth. 

Q. Did the same men give us the Creed 
and the New Testament ? 

A. Yes; and both tell the same truth. 

Q. Were any other books written at the 
same time as those of the Bible ? 

A. Yes, a great many. 

Q. Were these ever received as part of the 
Bible? 

A. Yes; but they were not really part of 
Scripture, for they were not inspired by the 
Holy Ghost. 

Q. Who met and decided what was Script- 
ure and what was not ? 

A. The Church met and decided it. 



54 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What is the duty of the Church concern- 
ing the Scriptures ? 

A. To keep them and to teach them. 

Q. 3Iav the Church teach anything which 
is contrary to Scripture truth? 

A. No. 

Q. What must the Church teach ? 
A. The Church has authority to teach the 
Bible and its meaning. 



Chapter XX. 

THE SA CRAMENTS—HOLY BAPTISM. 

Q. What is Baptism ? 

A. Baptism is an outward act in which the 
Holy Ghost makes people members of Christ 
and of His Church. 

Q. Describe the outward act of Baptism. 

A. Water is put upon the. person to be bap- 
tized, in the name of the Father and of the Son 
and of the Holy Ghost. 

Q. Who commanded this to be done ? 

A. Our Lord, Jesus Christ. (S. Matthew 
xxviii. 19). 

Q. What happens to persons who are bap- 
tized ? 



HOLY BAPTISM. 



55 



A. They receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 
xxii. 16) and are born into the kingdom of God. 

Q. What is Baptism sometimes called ? 

A. The New Birth. (John iii. 5, 6.) 

Q. What is taken from us in Baptism ? 

A. The guilt of our sinful nature. 

Q. Does Baptism put us out of the reach of 
temptation ? 

A. No; but it gives us grace to resist temp- 
tation. 

Q. How old must people be before they can 
be baptized? 

A. Even infants can and ought to be bap- 
tized. 

Q. Why should children be baptized ? 

A. Because it makes them children of God 
and helps them to grow up good Christians. 

Q. Is Baptism, then, the end or the begin- 
ning of our life in Christ ? 

A. It is only the beginning. 

Q. Can children begin too young to do God's 
will? 

A. No; they should be brought up in good 
habits from the very beginning of their lives. 

Q. If people are baptized when they are 
older, what must they do? 

A. They must repent of their sins. 



50 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. Why are not infants required to repent 
A. Because they have committed no sins t 
repent of. 

Q. Were children allowed to be members o 
the Jewish church ? 

A. Yes, when they were eight days old. 

Q. May they also be members of the Chris 
tian Church ? 

A. Yes, as soon as they are baptized. 

Q. Are all baptized persons members of 
Church ? 

A. Yes, all who have been baptized witl 

water in the name of the Holy Trinity. (Gal 

atians iii. 2). 

Q. May the water be used in different ways 
A. Yes; sometimes people are led into the 

water, and sometimes water is poured upon 

them. 

Q. Are there different Baptisms? 

A. No; they are different ways of perform 
ing the one Baptism. (Ephesians it. 5.) 

Q. Does it matter whether much or little 
water is used ? 

A. No, for the water is only a sign. 

Q. Where does the Prayer Book order that 
Baptism should be administered ? 

A. In the Church. 



HOLY COMMUNION. C7 
Q. Why is this? 

A. Because it is the place set apart for that 
purpose ; and also because a congregation 
should stand as witnesses to the Baptism. 



Chapter XXI. 

THE SACRAMENTS-HOLY COMMUNION. 

Q. What is the Holy Communion ? 

A. An act of worship, in which men offer to 
God' a memorial of Christ's death, and receive 
anew the grace of union with their Lord? 

Q. What is done in the Holy Communion ? 

A. The Priest takes bread and wine, blesses 
them, offers them to God and gives them to 
the people to eat and to drink. 

Q. Who commanded this to be done ? 

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ. (S. Luke 
xxii. 19). 

Q. Is it common bread and wine after it has 
l>3en blessed ? 

A. No, it is the sacrament of the Body and 
Blood of Christ. (1 Corinthians xi. 23-29.) 

Q. How is this possible ? 



58 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. Because by the power of the Holy Ghost 
the Bread and Wine become the sacrament of 
the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Q. Can we understand this ? 

A. No, it is a mystery; but we have our 
Lord's own word that it is done. (S. Mat- 
thew xxvi. 26-28.) 

Q. Is Christ then present in this sacra- 
ment ? 

A. Yes, Christ is spiritually and truly 
present. 

Q. What is a spiritual presence ? 

A. The presence of a spiritual body. 

Q. Why are the Bread and Wine presented 
or offered to God ? 

A. Because the Bread and Wine are tokens 
of Christ's Body broken, and His Blood shed 
for man. 

Q. Why do we ask God to look upon these 
memorials of Christ's death ? 

A. Because God will hear and receive us if 
we come to Him in His Son's name. 

Q. What do we mean to ask God when we 
offer to Him the memory of Christ's death. 

A. We ask God to hear our prayers because 
Christ died for us. 

Q. What is Christ now doing in Heaven for 
us? 



HOLY COMMUNION. 59 

A. He is asking God to forgive our sins and 
to receive us. (Hebrews vii. 25 ; ix. 24). 

Q. What does lie show the Father when He 
pleads for us ? 

A. He shows how He died for us. 

Q. Must we be silent while Christ is thus 
pleading for us ? 

A. No; we must join on earth with thai 
which He is doing in Heaven. 

Q. How can we do this ? 

A. By taking our part in the service of the 
Holy Communion. 

Q. How do we take part in this service ? 

A. By joining in the service and receiving 
part of the Bread and Wine. (1 Cor. xi. 26). 

Q. Is this service something more than a 
memorial ? 

A. Yes; it is the feeding of our souls with 
the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Q. What has Christ said about this ? 

A. He has said: " He that eateth My flesh, 
and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I 
in him." (S. John vi. 56). 

Q. Must we believe what He has said ? 

A. Yes, for He is God. 

Q. What did He say about the Bread at the 
Last Supper ? 



60 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. He took the Bread and blessed it saying, 
" Take, eat, this is My Body." 

Q. "What did He say about the Wine ? 

A. He blessed it and said, "This is My 
Blood." 

Q. Should we receive this holy Sacrament 

carelessly ? 

A. No; there is fearful danger to those who 
come carelessly. (1 Cor. xi. 27-29). 

Q. But ought we to prepare ourselves de- 
voutly and to come often ? 

A. Yes, because we ought to join as often 
as we can in the Memorial of Christ's death; 
and beside this, we need to renew our spiritual 
strength very often. 

Q. Should we stay away because we feel 
we are sinners ? 

A. No, for Christ came to save sinners. 

Q. How should we prepare for this holy 
service? 

A. By examining ourselves to see what our 
sins are, and by confessing these sins to God, 
and making up our minds to fight against 
them. 

Q. What names are given to this service ? 
A. It is called the Holy Communion, the 
Lord's Supper and the Eucharist. 



HOLY COMMUNION. 



61 



Q. What does Eucharist mean? 
A. It is- a Greek word and means " Thanks- 
giving." 

Q. How is this a proper name for the cele- 
bration of the Lord's Supper ? 

A. Because the service is a " sacrifice of 
praise and thanksgiving." (See prayer of Obla- 
tion and the Ter-Sanctus in the Communion 
Service). 

Q. Why is the Lord's Supper called the 
Communion ? 

A. Because in it Christ communicates or 
gives Himself to us. 

Q. Is there another reason for this name ? 

A. Yes; it brings us into close communion 
with all of Christ's people. 

Q. How can this be ? 

A. All the members of Christ are brought 
near to each other in Him. 

Q. Have we communion with the dead as 
well a& the living ? 

A. Yes, for they are all members of Christ. 

Q. What do you call this union of all the 
members of Christ both living and departed ? 

A. The communion of saints. 



0:3 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Chapter XXII. 

CONFIRMATION. 

Q. What name does S. Peter give to God' 
people ? 

A. He says, " Ye are a chosen generation, 
royal priesthood." (1 S. Peter ii. 9). 
Q. What is a priest ? 

A. One who is appointed to offer somethin 
to God. 

Q. Are the people in any sense priests % 

A. Yes, for they join in the offering. 

Q. How are priests appointed to their office 

A. They are ordained by the Bishop. 

Q. Do the people receive any kind of ordi 
nation to their share in the priesthood ? 

A. Yes; in Confirmation. 

Q. In what service do they take part afte 
their Confirmation ? 

A. In the Eucharist. 

Q. What does Confirmation mean ? 

A. It means " making strong." 

Q. Who are confirmed or made strong ? 

A. God's people. 

Q. Who confirms or strengthens them ? 
A. God the Holy Ghost 



CONFIRMATION. 



68 



Q. What is the outward part in Confirma- 
tion ? 

A. The Bishop lays his hands upon those 
who are to be confirmed, and prays to God to 
send His blessing upon them. 

Q. Who instituted this custom ? 

A. The Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. What was it called in their time ? 

A. The " laying on of hands." (Hebrews 
vi. 2). 

Q. Was it considered important by the 
Apost les ? 

A. Yes; it was called one of the "founda- 
tions." (Hebrews vi. 1, 2). 

Q. Describe a Confirmation conducted by 
the Apostles. > 

A. Acts viii. 14-17. The deacon Philip 
had taught some people in Samaria; and, not 
having authority to confirm them, the Apostles 
sent two of their number, S. Peter and S. John, 
who laid their hands upon the people, and 
they received the Holy Ghost. 

Q. Has Confirmation been part of the 
Church's system ever since the Apostles 5 time? 

A. Yes, for over 1800 years. 

Q. Did our Lord Jesus Christ lay His hands 
upon people in Confirmation ? 



64 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. No; there was no Confirmation so long 
as He was upon earth. 
Q. Why? 

A. Because the Holy Ghost did not come 
until after Christ had ascended into Heaven. 
(S. John xvi. 7). 

Q. How did the Apostles know about Con- 
firmation ? 

A. This was one of the things which our 
Lord taught them before He ascended into 
Heaven. (Acts i. 3). 

Q. How old must people be before they are 
Confirmed ? . 

A. They must be old enough to understand 
their Christian duty. 

Q. What promises do they renew at their 
Confirmation ? 

A. The promises or vows of their Baptism. 

Q. What are these promises or vows? 

A. To resist the Devil, to believe in God, 
and to try to do God's will. 

Q. Can anyone escape the duty of these 
vows by not being confirmed ? 

A. No. 

Q. Why can no one but a Bishop administer 
Confirmation ? 

A. Because it is a hind of ordination, and 
our Lord gave this power to none but the 

Apostles and their successors. 



MATRIMONY. 



65 



Chapter XXIII. 

MATRIMONY. 

Q. Who commanded men and women to be 
married ? 
A. God. 

Q. When was marriage instituted ? 

A. In the Garden of Eden between Adam 
and Eve. (Genesis ii. 21-24). 

Q. What was the law about having more 
than one wife or one husband ? 

A. No man could have more than one wife, 
and no woman could have more than one 
husband. (S. Matthew xix. 4t-8). 

Q. Has this, always been God's law ? 

A. Yes. 

Q. Have men always kept this law ? 

A. No; men have put away their wives and 
married others. 

Q. Does God's law allow this ? 

A. No; it is plainly declared by Christ to be 
a great sin. (Luke xvi. 18). 

Q. Who joins men and women in marriage ? 

A. God. 

Q. For how long are they joined ? 
A. For life. 



66 



THE CHRISTIAN FxVITH. 



Q. What did Jesus Christ say about this ? 

A. He said, " They are no more twain bu 
one flesh. What therefore God hath joine 
together, let not man put asunder." (S. Ma 
thew xix. 6). 



Chapter XXIV. 

HOLY ORDERS. 

Q. What are Holy Orders? 

A. The Orders of the Church's Ministry. 

Q. How are men made Ministers? 

A. By the Holy Ghost, through the layin 
on of the Bishop's hands. 

Q. May anyone but a Bishop do this ? 

A. ~No; our Lord gave this power to none 
except to the Apostles, and they handed it on to 
the Bishops. 

Q. Which is the first Order of the Ministry 
to which men are admitted ? 

A. The Order of Deacons. 

Q. What does " Deacon " mean ? 

A. It means " a servant." 

Q. What is the duty of a Deacon ? 

A. To assist the Bishop and the Priest in 



HOLY ORDERS. 



G7 



their work; to care for the poor; and to preach 
if the Bishop allows him. 

Q. What may the Deacon not do ? 

A. He may not celebrate the Holy Com- 
munion, or baptize when a Priest is present, 
or pronounce the Absolution or the Blessing. 

Q. How long must men remain Deacons? 

A. For one year. 

Q. What is the next higher Order of the 
Ministry ? 

A. The Order of Priests. 

Q. What does " Priest " mean ? 

A. It is a short form of the word " Presby- 
ter" and means "Elder." 

Q. What are ,the duties of a Priest ? 

A. To care for a part of the Church; to ad- 
minister the sacraments; and to teach the 
people. 

Q. Read from the Prayer Book what the 
Bishop says in ordering a Priest. 

A. " Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office 
and Work of a Priest in the Church of God, 
now committed unto thee by the Imposition 
of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, 
they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost 
retain, they are retained. And be thou a faith- 
ful Dispenser of the Word of God, and of His 



68 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Holy Sacraments; In the Name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

Q. How does the Priest forgive sins ? 

A. He speaks in God's Name, declaring to 
those who repent of their sins that God has 
forgiven them. 

Q. Who gave this authority to the Ministers 
of the Church ? 

A. Jesus Christ. (S. John xx. 22, 23.). 

Q. Is it really the Priest who forgives sin ? 

A. No; God alone can forgive sins. 

Q. "What does the Priest do ? 

A. He brings to the sinner God's message of 
pardon. 

Q. What is the highest Order of the Min- 
istry ? 

A. The Order of Bishops. 
Q. What kind of an office do the Bishops 
hold? 

A. They hold the same office as that of the 
Apostles. 

Q. What are the duties of a Bishop ? 

A. They rule over one of the larger parts of 
the Church; administer Confirmation; and 
they ordain men to the Ministry. 

Q. How is a Bishop admitted to his office? 

A. He is consecrated by the Holy Ghost 



CHURCH HISTORY. 69 

through the laying on of other Bishops' hands. 

Q. How many Bishops join in every conse- 
cration ? 

A. Three. 

Q. Why is this the rule ? 

A. So that there may be no possible break 
in the chain which joins them to the office of 
the Apostles. 

Q. Are our Bishops descended from the first 
Apostles ? 

A. Yes, in an unbroken line. 

Q. What is this line called ? 

A. The Apostolic Succession. 



Chapter XXY. 

CHURCH HISTORY. 

Q. From what place and time did the Chris- 
tian Church start ? 

A. From Jerusalem on the Day of Pen- 
tecost. 

Q. Where did the Apostles extend the 
Church? 

A. In all the countries which they knew. 
Q. Where were the principal Churches ? 



70 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. In Jerusalem and the Holy Land; in 
Africa, Asia, Greece and Italy. 

Q. What was the religion of the world at 
that time ? 

A. Part of the people were Jews, bnt most 
of the world was heathen. 

Q. How did the Jews and the heathen treat 
the Christians ? 

A. They hated them and tried to put them 
to death. 

Q. Who were the chief persecutors? 

A. The Emperors of Rome. 

Q. How did the Christians behave when 
they were persecuted? 

A. They were both faithful and brave, for 
they suffered torture and death rather than 
deny Christ. 

Q. What do we call those who suffered in 
this way for Christ ? 

A. We call them martyrs. 

Q. How long did these persecutions last ? 

A. About 300 years, until one of the Roman 
Emperors became a Christian. 

Q. Did the Church have peace after this? 

A. ]No; troubles soon arose in the Church 
from men who taught false doctrines. 

Q. How were these disputes settled ? 



CHURCH HISTORY. 



71 



A. The Church held several councils and 
decided the disputes. 

Q. Which was the first and greatest of these 
councils ? 

A. One which was held at ISTicsea in Asia. 

Q. Why was it called? 

A. A man named Arius had taught that 
Jesus Christ was not God, and the Emperor 
Constantine called the council to decide the 
question. 

Q. What did the council do ? 

A. The council drew up the celebrated 
" Mcene Creed," in which it is declared that 
Jesus Christ is " Yery God of Very God " and 
"of one substance with the Father." 

Q. Are the acts of these councils very valu- 
able to us? 

A. Yes, for they show us what the old faith 
of the Church was. 

Q. How long did the Church remain undi- 
vided ? 

A. For nearly one thousand years. 

Q. Who made the first great split or . division 
in the Church ? 

A. The Church of Home separated from 
the Church in Asia. 

Q. Who went with the Church of Rome ? 



72 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. Nearly all of Europe. 

Q. When was the next great division ? 

A. In 1532 A.D. the Church of Eome sepa- 
rated from the Church of England. 

Q. Why was this done ? 

A. Because the Church of England would 
not obey the Bishop of Borne. 

Q. Ought the English to have obeyed the 
Bishop, or Pope, of Rome ? 

A. No; the Church of England had its own 
Bishops. 

Q. How did the Bishop of Borne come to 
have anything to do with England? 

A. For many years the Bishops of Rome 
had been trying to rule the world. 

Q. Was this the idea of the early Church ? 

A. No; in the beginning the Bishops of 
Rome had no more powers or rights than any 
other Bishops. 

Q. What did the Church of England do ? 

A. They went back to the customs and the 
faith of the early Church. 

Q. What was this called ? 

A. The English Reformation. 

Q. Were there Reformations in other parts 
of the world ? 

A. Yes; in all of Europe men banded to- 



CHURCH HISTORY. 



73 



gether to throw off the unlawful power of the 
Roman Bishop. 

Q. What had the Church of Rome done be 
side asking all men to obey her Bishop ? 

A. The Church of Borne taught many 
things contrary to the faith of the Apostles. 

Q. What were some of these? 

A. They worshipped our Lord's Mother and 
other saints, and would not let men read the 
Bible. 

Q. What did they teach about the souls of 
the departed ? 

A. They said that these souls were being 
tormented in a place called Rurgatory, and 
they made men pay the priests to deliver the 
souls of their friends by prayers. 

Q. Were there any other errors ? 

A. Yes, they taught untruths about the sac- 
raments and other rites of the Church. 

Q. How had these errors crept into the 
Church? 

A. The people were very ignorant and the 
priests taught these things so as to get money. 
Q. What was the Reformation like? 
A. Like taking weeds out of a garden. 
Q. What was the garden ? 
A. The Church of Christ. 



74 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What were the weeds ? 
A. False teachings which had grown up. 
Q. Was it the same Church after the Refor- 
mation ? 

A. Yes, only that it was restored as at the 
beginning. 

Q. What divisions have occurred since then ? 

A. Some men left the Church and formed 
societies of their own. 

Q. What are these societies called ? 

A. Sects, which means parts cut off. 

Q. How many sects are there in England 
and America ? 

Q. Over two hundred. 

Q. How was the American Church founded ? 

A. It was planted in the English Colonies 
as a Mission. 

Q. When did it become a free and inde- 
pendent Church? 

A. After the Revolutionary War the Amer- 
ican Church was free and had its own Bishops. 

Q. Who was the first American Bishop ? 

A. Bishop Seabury of Connecticut. 

Q. When and where was he consecrated ? 

A. In Scotland, in 1781 A.D. 

Q. Were any Bishops consecrated for Amer- 
ica ia England ? 



CHURCH HISTORY. 



75 



A. Yes; in 1787 Bishops White and Pro- 
voost were consecrated in London. 

Q. "What three great divisions of the Church 
are there now ? 

A. The Greek Church, the Bpman Church, 
and the Church of England and America. 

Q. How many members are there in all of 
these divisions ? 

A. About two hundred and seventy-five 
millions, of whom twenty millions are Eng- 
lish and American. 

Q. "What name is given to the whole Church 
of Christ? 

A. It is called the Holy Catholic Church. 

Q. Who are members of it ? 

A. All who have been baptized with water 
in the name of the Trinity. 

Q. How do we know whether a Church is 
part of the Catholic body ? 

A. It must have the Apostolic Ministry, the 
Creeds and the Sacraments. 



76 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Chapter XXVI. 

History of the Book of Common Prayer. 

Q. How old is our Prayer Book ? 

A. Parts of it have come down to us from 
the Apostles, and parts were added from time 
to time since then. 

Q. From what Prayer Book is the Ameri- 
can Book taken ? 

A. From the Prayer Book of the Church 
of England. 

Q. When and where was a Prayer Book 
first printed in English ? 

A. In England after the English Keforma- 
tion. 

Q. In what year was this ? 
A. In 1594 A. D. 

Q. Who was King of England at that time ? 

A. King Edward the Sixth. 

Q. What name is commonly given to this 
first Prayer Book ? 

A. It is called, in history, "the first hook 
of Edward VI." 

Q. Was this book the same as had been used 
before in England? 

A. No; it was made up from several old 
books. 



BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. 77 



Q. Why could people not use the old 
books ? 

A. Because these books were full of false 
teachings and were written in Latin. 

Q. Give an example of the false teachings { 
which were in the old books? 

A. There were prayers to the saints and 
angels. 

Q. How did the writers of the English 
Prayer Book do away with these errors ? 

A. They kept whatsoever was old and true, 
and they left out whatsoever was new and 
false. 

Q. Is the first book of Edward VI. now 
used in England ? 

A. No ; it has been changed several times. 

Q. When was the book now used in Eng- 
land set forth ? 

A. In the year 1662. 

Q. When was the American Prayer Book 
written and published ? 

A. In the year 1789. 

Q Has it been changed since then ? 

A. Yes, the Church is now making some 
changes. 

Q. What is the character of these changes ? 

A. They are to put back some things which 
had been left out, but which are of ancient 
use. 



73 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Chapter XXVII. 

THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. 

Q. What is the name of the book which 
our branch of the Church uses in public wor- 
ship ? 

A. The Book of Common Prayer. 

Q. What is meant by Common Prayer ? 

A. Prayer in which all the people take part 
in common. 

Q. What is the use of a written form of 
public worship ? 

A. It gives every one a part in the service. 

Q. When this book is used, is it the praise 
and prayer of the minister alone ? 

A. ISTo ; it is the praise and prayer of al 1 
who take part in the service. 

Q. Why do people go to Church ? 

A. To worship God. 

Q. Why should we worship God ? 

A. To pay Him the honor which is His 
due. (Psalm l. 23, and xcvi. 8). 

Q. Give another reason for worshipping 
God? 

A. The life of Heaven is made up of wor- 
ship and we must now learn to take our part 
in it. 



THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. 79 



Q. How do we worship God ? 

A. By praise, prayer, and by reverent acts 
of our bodies. 

Q. "Why should we be reverent in the posi- 
tions of our bodies ? 

A. Because it is natural for us to show by 
outward acts whatever we feel in our hearts. 

Q. Does the body owe any debt of worship 
to God? 

A. Yes, because God cares for our bodies, 
and because our bodies will take part in the 
resurrection. 

Q. Did Christ redeem our bodies ? 

A. Yes, and we must therefore offer the 
service of our body to God. (Romans xii. 1). 

Q. How do we worship God with our 
bodies ? 

A. By standing when we praise Him, by 
kneeling when we pray, and by reverent 
quietness when we are before Him. 

Q. What are the chief services of the Prayer 
Book? 

A. Holy Communion, Morning and Even- 
ing Prayer and the Litany. 

Q. What are the other services called ? 
A. Occasional offices. 
Q. Why? 



80 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. Because they are for special occasions 
like Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, Mar- 
riage and Burial of the Dead. 



Chapter XXVIII. 

THE ORDER OF MORNING PRAYER. 

Q. What should we do always when we en- 
ter and leave Church? 

A. We should kneel in our places and ask 
God's blessing on our efforts to worship Him. 

Q. How does the office of Morning Prayer 
begin ? 

A. The minister reads one or two sentences 
from Scripture, and an exhortation to repent- 
ance. 

Q. What follow this? 

A. The general confession of sins, and the 
pronouncing of absolution by the priest. 

Q. Why is this done at the beginning of the 
service ? 

A. So that people having received forgive- 
ness of their sins may be fit to worship God. 

Q. How do the people address God after 
receiving His forgiveness ? 



THE ORDER OF MORNING PRAYER. 81 

A. They begin with joyful hearts to say 
" Our Father, who art in Heaven." 

Q. What follows the saying of the Lord's 
Prayer ? 

A. A little verse called a versicle,which is said 
by the minister and a response by the people. 

Q. What are the words of this versicle and 
response ? 

A. O Lord, open Thou our lips. And our 
mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. (Psalm 
1. 15). 

Q. What is done after this ? 

A. The minister and the people stand up 
and say the " Gloria Patri," beginning " Glory 
be to the Father." 

Q. What Psalm is said or sung after this ? 

A. The Ninety-fifth Psalm, beginning 
" O come, let us sing unto the Lord." 

Q. What is the common name of this 
Psalm ? 

A. It is called the " Yenite " from its first 
word in Latin. 

Q. What is the special meaning as used in. 
this place ? 

A. It invites the people to begin the praises 
of God and it is called the "Invitatory 
Psalm." 

Q. What is then read or sung by the minis- 
ter and people ? 



82 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. A part of the Psalter or Psalms. 
Q. What are these Psalms ? 
A. They are ancient songs about God and 
His works. 

Q. Why should they be used in Christian 

service ? 

A. Because they are prophecies of Christ 
and His Kingdom. 

Q. Do all of the Psalms set before us some 
truth concerning Christ ? 

A. Yes ; they may be read so as to teach us 
about the life and character of Christ. 

Q. What is said or sung after each Psalm ? 

A. The Gloria Patri. 

Q. What is then read ? 

A. A lesson from the Old Testament. 

Q. What great hymn is sung after the first 
lesson ? 

A. The " Te Deum " beginning " We praise 
Thee, O God." 

Q. What may be sung instead of Te Deum ? 

A. During Advent and Lent many 
Churches use the hymn, Benedicite, beginning 
"O all ye works of the Lord." 

Q. Who are said to have composed and sung 
this hymn ? 

A. The three men whom King Nebuchad- 



THE ORDER OF MORNING PRAYER. 83 



nezzar cast into tlie fiery furnace for refus- 
ing to worship his image. Daniel iii. 

Q. "What is read after this ? 

A. A second lesson, taken' from the New 
Testament. 

Q. What hymn is sung after the second les- 
son? 

A. The " Benedictus " beginning "Blessed, 
be the Lord God of Israel.'' 

Q. Who first sang this ? 

A. Zacharias, the father of S. John the 
Baptist sang it in thanksgiving for the prom- 
ised coming of Christ. (S. Lake i. 68-80). 

Q. Why do we sing it ? 

A. Because we rejoice in the glad tidings of 
the Gospel which are read to us in the second 
lesson. 

Q. What may be used instead of this hymn ? 

A. The Jubilate, or 100th Psalm. 

Q. What is done after this ? 

A. All stand up and declare their Christian 
faith in the Creed. 

Q. What does the minister say to the people 
after this ? 

A. He says "The Lord be with you," and 
they reply "And with thy spirit." 
Q. What does the minister say next ? 



84 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. He says " Let us pray," and all humbly 
kneel before God. 

Q. How are the prayers which follow read ? 

A. The minister reads them while the 
people follow the words with their minds and 
hearts, saying " Amen " at the end of each 
prayer. 

Q. What does " Amen " mean ? 
A. It means "So be it." 

THE LITANY. 

Q. What is the Litany ? 

A. A prayer said by the minister and people 
responsively. 

Q. What do yon mean by " responsively " ? 

A. The minister says a short sentence and 
the people respond or answer. 

Q. When is the Litany used ? 

A. In the morning on Sundays, Wednes- 
days and Fridays. 

Q. Where does it come in the order of the 
service ? 

A. It comes after the Prayer for the Presi- 
dent of the United States. 

Q. May the Litany also be used as a sepa- 
rate service ? 

A. Yes. 



THE OKDER FOR EVENING PRAYER. 85 



Chapter XXIX. 

THE ORDER FOR EVENING PRAYER. 

Q. How does the Evening Prayer differ 
from tlie Morning Prayer ? 

A. It lias different Canticles after the Les- 
sons, and some different prayers. 

Q. May it he made shorter than the Morn- 
ing Prayer ? 

A. Yes ; a part may be omitted. 

Q. What may he omitted at the beginning ? 

A. The Exhortation may be omitted on 
Sunday ; and, on week days, the minister may 
pass from the opening sentences to the Lord's 
Prayer. 

Q. What may be omitted at the end of the 
Office ? 

A. After the Collect, which begins 
" Lighten our darkness," the remaining pray- 
ers may be omitted. 

Q. What is said or sung after the first 
Lesson ? 

A. The hymn Magnificat, beginning " My 
soul doth magnify the Lord." 
Q. Who first sang this ? 



86 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 



A. The Blessed Virgin Mary sang it in joy 
at the promised birth of Christ. (S. Luke i. 46). 

Q. Has this hymn always been used in the 
American Prayer Book ? 

A. No ; it was left out when the American 
Book was first written. 

Q. When was it restored to its old place ? 

A. In 1886, at the General Convention held 
in Chicago. 

Q. Is it used in England and other places ? 

A. Yes ; for many hundreds of years it has 
been one of the Church's Evening Hymns. 

Q. "What other Canticles may be used in- 
stead of the Magnificat ? 

A. Two ; the " Cantate," beginning " O sing 
unto the Lord," and the " Bonum Est," begin- 
ning " It is a good thing to give thanks unto 
the Lord." 

Q. What is the regular hymn after the sec- 
ond lesson ? 

A. The "Nunc Dimittis," beginning " Lord 
now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace." 

Q. Who first sang this? 

A. An aged man named Simeon, who had 
wished all his life to see Christ, sang it when 
the Child Jesus was brought to the Temple. 
(S. Luke ii. 29). 



THE HOLY COMMUNION. 87 



Q. What reason have we for using these 
words ? 

A. If we have really lifted up our hearts to 
God in the service, He will bless us and send 
us to our homes in peace. 

Q. Do we, like Simeon, rejoice because 
Christ has been born ? 

A. Yes ; and we sing this hymn to thank 
God for the glad tidings of the Gospel read 
to us in the second lesson. 

Q. What may be used instead of the " Nunc 
Dimittis"? 

A. The " Deus," beginning " God be merci- 
ful to us," and the " Benedic, Anima Mea," 
beginning " Praise the Lord, O my soul." 



Chapter XXX. 

THE HOLY COMMUNION. 

Q. Is the form of service for the Holy 
Communion very old ? 

A. Yes; most of it has come to us from the 
Apostles' time? 

Q. What part of it was given by our Lord 
Himself? 

A. The words in which our Lord instituted 
the service are solemnly repeated by the priest. 



88 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



(S. Matthew xxvi. 26-28. I. Corinthians xi. 

23-25). 

Q. What is the meaning of all that comes 
before the great prayer in which these words 
occur ? 

A. It is intended to prepare our hearts for 
the sacred feast. 

Q. What is the meaning of the latter part 
of the service ? 

A. It is a thanksgiving to God for "blessings 
received. 

Q. Who alone can celebrate the Holy Com- 
munion ? 

A. A Priest or a Bishop. 

Q. How does the service begin ? 

A. The Priest standing at the altar says the 
Lord's Prayer and a Collect, to prepare his 
heart for the service, and the people kneel in 
silence. 

Q. What follows this ? 

A. The Priest recites the Ten Command- 
ments, and after each one the people ask God 
to help them to keep His Law. 

Q. What is then read ? 

A. The Collect, Epistle and Gospel for the 
day. 

Q. What is the most solemn part of the 

service ? 



THE HOLY COMMUNION. 



89 



A. The blessing of the Bread and Wine, 
called the Prayer of Consecration. 

Q. Whose words are repeated in this 
prayer ? 

A. The words of onr Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. What is said in the rest of this Prayer ? 

A. The Priest presents to God the memory 
of Christ's death, asking Him to send His 
Holy Spirit upon the Bread and Wine, that 
they may become to us the Body and Blood of 
Christ. " 

Q. What comes after this ? 

A. The Priest and the people receive, in 
turn, the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Q. How should we act while waiting our 
turn to receive the Sacrament ? 

A. We should be very reverent; and, if pos- 
sible, remain kneeling in prayer. 

Q. How should we approach God's Altar ? 

A. We should wait until there is- room for 
us at the Altar rail, and then go quietly and 
kneel there. 

Q. What rule does reverence teach us about 
wearing gloves at this time? 

A. We should not wear gloves, but receive 
the Sacrament in our hands. 

Q. What is the best way to receive the 
Body of Christ? 



90 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. The best way is to lay the right hand i 
the palm of the left ; and, when the Body o 
Christ is given ns, to raise it to our lips. 

Q. Why is this the best way ? 

A. Because it is the easiest way for th 
Priest who gives the Sacrament, and it pr 
vents the danger of dropping any part of th 
Consecrated Bread. 

Q. Should we be careful to consume al 
that is given us of the Consecrated Bread ? 

A. Yes ; we should be careful not to leav 
even a crumb. 

Q. How should we receive the cup contain 
ing the Consecrated Wine ? 

A. The best way is to take hold of th 
bottom of the cup and to guide it to our lip 
while the Priest holds it. 

Q. Why is this a good way ? 

A. Because it gives the least danger of acci 
dent. 

Q. What should we do after receiving th 
Sacrament ? 

A. We should return to our places and offe 
thanks to God for His great gift. 

Q. When should we leave the Church ? 

A. Not until the Priest has left the Chancel 

Q. What does the Priest do before he leave 
the Chancel ? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 



91 



A. He carefully eats and drinks all that is 
left of tlie Sacrament. 

Q. Why is he careful to leave no particle of 
the Sacrament ? 

A. Because the law of the Prayer Book 
orders him to consume it all, and because true 
reverence forbids him to leave such sacred 
things where they might not be respected. 



Chapter XXXI. 

THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 

Q. Does the Church follow any plan in her 
services through the year ? 

A. Yes; there is a yearly course of fasts 
and festivals. 

Q. "What is the use of this ? 

A. It sets the Gospel story before us in a 
regular course every year. 

Q. Is this a plan for preaching the Gospel t 

A. Yes; the Church preaches the whole story 
of Christ every year. 

Q. When does the Christian year begin ? 

A. On the Sunday nearest to November 
30th, S. Andrew's day. 



92 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What is this first Sunday of the Chri 
tain year called ? 

A. Advent Sunday, or the First Sunday i 
Advent. 

Q. "What does Advent mean ? 

A. Advent means " Coming." 

Q. For whose coming do we prepare in A 
vent ? 

A. For the coming of Christ . 

Q. Do we think during Advent of mor 
than one coming of Christ? 

A. Yes ; His first coming to be born o 
earth, and His second coming to judge th 
world. 

Q. How many Sundays are there in Ad 
vent? 
A. Four. 

Q. What kind of a season is Advent ? 

A. It is a time of solemn preparation fo 
Christ's coming. 

Q. How does it prepare us for the two com 
in£;s of Christ ? 

A. It prepares our hearts for the joys o 
Christmas, and it also tells us to look forwar 
to the second coming of Christ to be ou 
judge. 

Q. What Saint's day comes near the end of 

November ? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 



03 



A. S. Andrew's day, November 30th. 
Q. Who was S. Andrew ? 
A. He was one of the Twelve Apostles, and 
was brother of S. Peter. 

Q. Where did he preach the Gospel ? 
A. In Asia and Russia. 
Q. How did he die ? 

A. He was put to death upon a Cross shaped 
like the letter X, and which is called the S. 
Andrew's cross. 

Q. What Apostle do we commemorate in 
December ? 

A. The Apostle S. Thomas on December 
21st. 

Q. Where is he said to have preached the 
Gospel? 

A. In the country which is now called 
Persia } and also in India, where he suffered 
martyrdom. 

Q. What great festival comes at the close of 
Advent ? 

A. Christmas, or the Birthday of Christ, 
December 25th. 

Q. What does the word " Christmas" 
mean ? 

A. Mass was an old word for the Com- 
munion service, and Christ's Mass or Christmas, 
is the Festival of Christ. 



94 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What three Holy Days follow Christ- 
mas ? 

A. S. Stephen's, the Holy Innocents', and 
S. John the Evangelist's days. 

Q. "What were all these people ? 

A. Martyrs, or witnesses to Christ by their 
sufferings. 

Q. How was S. Stephen a martyr ? 

A. He died confessing Christ, and he was 
the first Christian martyr. (Acts vii. 54-60). 

Q. Who were the Holy Innocents? 

A. They were children who were killed by 
King Herod when he heard that Christ was 
born. (S. Matthew ii. 13-18). 

Q. Why did Herod kill these children? 

A. Herod heard that a child was born who 
was to be King of the Jews ; and, fearing to 
lose his throne, he tried to destroy this child 
by putting to death all who were under two 
years of age. 

Q. How did the Child Jesus escape? 

A. Joseph and His mother were warned by 
God to take Him into Egypt, (S. Matthew ii. 
13-15). 

Q. Were the Holy Innocents martyrs ? 
A. Yes ; they died for Christ even though 
they did not know it. 
Q. Who wasS. John? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 95 

A. He was an Apostle and an Evangelist, 
or writer of one of the Gospels. 

Q. Did he die for Christ? 

A. No ; but he is said to have been cast by 
the heathen into a huge pot of boiling oil and 
to have escaped by a miracle. 

Q. What three kinds of martyrs do we 
commemorate on these days ? 

A. S. Stephen, a martyr in will and deed. 
The Holy Innocents, martyrs in deed, but not 
in will. S. John, a martyr in will but not in 
deed. 

Q. What festival of our Lord comes next 
after these Hdly Days ? 

A. The Circumcision of Christ, January 1st. 

Q. Of what does this day remind us ? 

A. It reminds us how Christ was re- 
ceived into the Jewish Church and was named 
Jesus. (S. Luke ii. 21). 

Q. What is the next festival of the Church? 

A. The Epiphany. 

Q. What does Epiphany mean ? 

A. It means manifestation or showing. 

Q. To whom was Christ manifested or 
shown ? 

A. To the Gentiles. 

Q. What does this teach us? 



96 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. That Christ came to save the Gentiles 
well as the Jews. 

Q. Who came on Epiphany to worshi 
Christ? , 

A. "Wise men from the East, who offere 
Him gifts of gold and frankincense an 
myrrh. (S. Matthew ii, 1, 2, 11). 

Q. What did these gifts mean ? 

A. Gold showed that He would be a King 
Frankincense showed that He would offer Him 
self as a sacrifice : Myrrh was used in burial 
and foretold His death. 

Q. What other festival comes in January 

A. The Conversion of S. Paul, January 25th. 

Q. What does this commemorate ? 

A. It reminds us how Saul, the enemy o 
the Church, became S. Paul the Apostle an 
martyr. (Acts ix. 1-22). 

Q. Where do we read about S. Paul ? 

A. In the Book of the Acts, where his man 
missionary journeys are described. 

Q. How did S. Paul die? 

A. He was put to death in the city of Pome 

Q. What Festival comes in February ? 

A. The Purification of S. Mary the Virgin 
or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. 

Q. What fact is commemorated on this day? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 



97 



A. Tlie law of the Jews required every 
mother to make an offering at the Temple; and, 
if the child were her first-born and a boy, 
she had to present him before the Lord. (Exo- 
dus xiii. 2; xxii. 29. Leviticus xii. S. Luke 
ii. 22-24). 

Q. What other festival occurs in February ? 

A. S. Matthias' Day, Feb. 24. 

Q. "Who was S. Matthias ? 

A. He was chosen to be an Apostle, in the 
place of the traitor Judas. (Acts i. 26). 

Q. What festival comes in March ? 

A. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary. 

Q. What is here commemorated? 

A. The time in which the Angel Gabriel 
told the Virgin Mary that she should be the 
Mother of Christ. (S. Luke i. 26-35). 

Q. What long fast of the Church begins in 
February or March ? 

A. Lent. 

Q. What does "Lent" mean? 
A. It means " Spring;" and the great fast is 
so called because it comes in Spring. 
Q. How long is Lent ? 
A. Forty days. 

Q. When does Lent begin and end ? 



98 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. It begins on Ash Wednesday and en 
on Easter Even. 

Q. How many days are there really fro 
Ash Wednesday to Easter Even? 

A. Forty-six. 

Q. How, then, do you count only forty day 
in Lent ? 

A. Because Sundays being always feast day 
do not count in the fast of Lent, and there ar 
six Sundays. 

Q. What is the Sunday next before Len 
called ? 

A. Quinquagesima, which means fiftieth 
for this Sunday is the fiftieth day befor 
Easter. 

Q. What is the Sunday before Quinquag- 
esima called ? 

A. Sexagesima, for it is about sixty day 
before Easter. 

Q. What is the Sunday before Sexagesim- 
called ? 

A. Septuagesima, or about the seventieth 
day before Easter. 

Q. What is the purpose of Lent ? 

A. It is to make people think about their 
faults and try to correct them. 

Q. What is our duty as to fasting ? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 



99 



A. We should deny ourselves and live very 
plainly. 

Q. "What is the use of this ? 

A. It makes us think less about our pleas- 
ures or appetites, and more about God and our 
duty. 

Q. What should we do about pleasures and 
amusements in Lent? 

A. We should lay some of them aside. 

Q. What should we do instead of amusing 
ourselves all the time ? 

A. We should give more time to reading 
good books, to prayer, to church-going and to 
good works. 

Q. What will be the benefit to us if we 
keep Lent well? 

A. It will rest and refresh our souls. 

Q. What is the fourth Sunday in Lent 
sometimes called? 

A. Mid-Lent or Refreshment Sunday. 

Q. What is the fifth Sunday in Lent called ? 

A. Passion Sunday; because at about this 
time Christ began to tell his disciples of His 
death. 

Q. What is the Sunday next before Easter 
called? 

A. Palm Sunday ; because on this day Christ 



100 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



rode into Jerusalem while the people shouted 
and spread palms in His way. (S. Matthew 
xxi. 1-11). 

Q. What is the week which begins with 
Palm Sunday called ? 

A. Holy week ; because in it our Lord was 
betrayed, He suffered, died and was buried. 

Q. What happened on Monday and Tues- 
day of Holy week ? 

A. Christ tauglit the Jews in their Temple 
and disputed with their chief men. (S. Mat- 
thew xxi. IT — xxii. 46). 

Q. What was done on Wednesday ? 

A. Our Lord spent this day with His disci- 
ples ; and on this day Judas agreed to betray 
Him to the chief priests. (S. Matthew xxvi. 
146). 

Q. What happened on Thursday? 

A. Jesus went with His twelve Apostles to 
Jerusalem ; and when it was evening they ate 
the Passover together, after which He insti- 
tuted the Holy Communion or Lord's Supper. 
(S. Matthew xxvi. 17-29). 

Q. What is this Thursday called ? 

A. Maundy Thursday. 

Q. What does " Maundy " mean ? 

A. It means " command," and the day is so 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 101 



called because of Christ's command that we 
should keep this feast in remembrance of 
Him. 

Q. What is the next day called? 

A. Good Friday, or the day of our Lord's 
Crucifixion. (S. Matthew xxvii). 

Q. Why do we call this day Good Friday ? 

A. Because it gave men the good gift of 
Redemption. 

Q. What kind of a day is Good Friday? 

A. It is the most solemn fast day in the 
year. 

Q. What is the next day called ? 

A. Easter Even ; and on it our Lord's body 
rested in the grave, while His soul was in Para- 
dise. 

Q. What great day comes next ? 

A. Easter Day, on which Christ rose from 
the dead. 

Q. What does Easter mean? 

A. Easter means " rising." 

Q. Why are we so joyful on Easter Day ? 

A. Because it tells us that Christ has con- 
quered death, and it promises us a like resur- 
rection. 

Q. Does Easter always come on the same 
day of the month or year ? 



102 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. JSTo ; it is a Moveable Feast. 
Q. Are there other Moveable Feasts ? 
A. Yes ; and they depend upon the time o 
Easter. 

Q. How do we know when Easter comes 

A. It is the Sunday after the fourteent" 
day of the Jewish New Year. 

Q. When does the Jewish year begin ? 

A. It begins with the new moon after th 
Spring Equinox. 

Q. What feast of the Jews came on this 
fourteenth day of their New Year? 

A. The feast of the Passover, on whic 
Christ died ; so that the Sunday following i 
His Resurrection day. (S. Matthew xxviii. 1-8. 

Q. How long does the Easter Feast last ? 

A. For eight days. 

Q. What other Feasts last for eight days 
A. Christmas, Ascension day and Whit 
Sunday. 

Q. What are the eight days of such Feast 
called ? 

A. They are called an Octave. 

Q. For what two days in the Octave o 
Easter is there a special Epistle and Gospel ? 

A. For Monday and Tuesday. 

Q. What are the four following Sunday 
called? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 103 

A. The Sundays after Easter. 

Q. What are the earliest and latest days 
upon which Easter can fall ? 

A. The earliest is March 22nd and the latest 
is April 25th. 

Q. What Saint's day comes in April ? 

A. S. Mark's day, April 25th. 

Q. Who was S. Mark? 

A. He was a martyr and an Evangelist, or 
writer of the Gospel. (Acts xii. 12, 25.) 

Q. Where did he preach the Gospel ? 

A. Chiefly in Africa, where he suffered for 
the Faith. 

Q. What two Saints are commemorated 
next? . 

A. S. Philip and S. James, the Apostles, 
May 1st. 

Q. Where did they work and also suffer 
death? 

A. S. Philip in Asia and S. James at Jeru- 
salem, of which He was Bishop. 

Q. What great feast comes next in order ? 

A. Holy Thursday, or the festival of our 
Lord's Ascension into Heaven. 

Q. What did He do on this day ? 

A. As conqueror of death and sin He as- 
cended to His throne in Heaven. 



104 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 



Q. How long was this after He rose from 
the dead ? 

A. Forty days. 

Q. What did Christ do during these forty 

days ? 

A. He showed Himself alive to His 
Apostles and told them what to do and to 
teach in His Kingdom or Church. (Acts i. 
% 3.) 

Q. Did Christ promise to be with them al- 
ways as head of the Church ? 

A. Yes, He promised to be with them unto 
the end of the world. (S. Matthew xxviii. 20). 

Q. What are the three days before Ascen- 
sion day called ? 

A. Rogation days. 

Q. Why are they called Rogation days ? 

A. Rogation means prayer and these are 
days of prayer and preparation for the Feast 
of the Ascension. 

Q. What do we pray for specially at this 
time of the year ? 

A. We pray for God's blessing upon the 
seeds which have been planted in the earth and 
are coming up. 

Q. Whom did Christ promise to send to His 
Church on earth after He should have gone 
into Heaven? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 105 



A. He promised to send His Holy Spirit, 
to teach, to guide and to strengthen His 
Church. (S. John xiv. 26). 

Q. Has the Holy Spirit been with the 
Church ever since ? 

A. Yes ; and He is the working power of 
God in the Church. (Acts xiii. 2-1, xx. 28.) 

Q. How long after Christ's Ascension did 
the Holy Ghost come to the Church ? 

A. Ten days after the Ascension, on the 
Jewish feast of Pentecost. (Acts ii. 1-21). 

Q. What do we call the day which com- 
memorates the coming of the Holy Ghost ? 

A. Whitsunday. 

Q. What does the word Whitsunday mean ? 

A. Some people think that it comes from 
an old German word meaning Pentecost ; 
others say that it is from the word "wit" 
which means wisdom ; others say that it was at 
first called white Sunday, from the white 
robes worn by people who were baptized on 
that day. 

Q. Has Whitsunday an octave ? 

A. Yes; but the last day of the octave is also 
kept as the Feast of Trinity Sunday. 

Q. What does Trinity Sunday teach us ? 

A. It sums up all that we have been taught 
about the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 



106 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What is the rest of the Christian year 
called? 

A. The Trinity season. 

Q. What does this season keep before our 

minds ? 

A. The duties of the Christian life. 

Q. Into what two parts is the Christian year 

divided ? 

A. Two. The first part, from Advent to 
Trinity Sunday, teaches us the doctrines of our 
Faith ; the second part teaches us the duties of 
our Christian life. 

Q. How many Sundays after Trinity may 
there be ? 

A. There may be as many as twenty-seven, 
or as few as twenty-two, according as Easter 
comes early or late. 

Q. For how many Sundays after Trinity are 
services appointed in the Prayer Book ? 

A. Twenty-five. 

Q. What is done if there are more than 
twenty-five Sundays after Trinity ? 

A. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for 
those days are taken from those which were 
not used on the Sundays after Epiphany ; but 
the Collect, Epistle and Gospel for the 25th 
Sunday after Trinity must always be used on 
the Sunday next before Advent. 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 107 



Q. What is the first Saint's day in J une ? 
A. S. Barnabas the Apostle's Day, June 11. 
Q. How did S. Barnabas die? 
A. He probably suffered martyrdom in 
Greece ? 

Q. What Saint's day comes next in June ? 

A. S. John the Baptist's Day, June 24th. 

Q. Who was S. John the Baptist? 

A. He was sent to prepare men for the 
coming of Christ. (S. Matthew iii. 1-3). 

Q. What other Saint's day comes in June ? 

A. S. Peter's Day, June 29th. 

Q. Where did S. Peter work, and how did 
he die? 

A. He preached in Syria and Asia, and was 
crucified for the Faith. 

Q. What Saint's day comes in July ? 

A. S. James the Apostle's day, July 25th. 

Q. What did S. James do? 

A. He was the first of the Apostles to die 
for the Faith. (Acts xii. 2). 

Q. What festival of our Lord comes in 
August ? 

A. The festival of the Transfiguration, Au- 
gust 6th. 

Q. Of what does this festival remind us ? 
A. It tells us how Christ showed Himself in 



108 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



His glory to three of his Apostles. (S. Mat- 
thew xvii. 1-19 ; S. Luke ix. 28-36). 

Q. What Saint's day comes in August ? 

A. S. Bartholomew the Apostle's Day, 
August 24th. 

Q. How did S. Bartholomew die ? 

A. He was slain for the Faith near the 
Caspian sea. 

Q. What Saint's day comes in September ? 

A. S. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist's 
Day, September 21st. 

Q. How did S. Matthew die? 

A. He suffered martyrdom in Chaldea. 

Q. What other Holy Day comes in Sep- 
tember ? 

A. S. Michael and All Angels' Day, Sep- 
tember 29th. 

Q. # Who are the Angels ? 

A. They are the Spirits who do God's ser- 
vice in Heaven and succour and defend us on 
earth. (See Collect for the Day). 

Q. Who is S. Michael ? 

A. One of the Chief Angels, called an 
Archangel. (S. Jude 9 ; Revelation xii. 7). 

Q. What other great Angel do we read 
about in the Bible ? 

A. The Angel Gabriel. (S. Luke i. 11-19). 

Q. Can we everJbecome Angels? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 



109 



A. No ; they are a different kind of beings 
from us. 

Q. What Saint's day comes first in Oc- 
tober ? 

A. S. Luke the Evangelist's Day, October j 
18th. 

Q. Was S. Luke a martyr ? 
A. Yes ; but we do not know where he suf- 
fered. 

Q. What other Saints are commemorated in 
October ? 

A. S. Simon and S. Jude, the Apostles, Oc- 
tober 28th. , 

Q. Where and how did these Apostles die ? 

A. They suffered martyrdom in Persia. 

Q. What Holy Day occurs at the beginning 
of November? 

A. All Saints Day, November 1st. 

Q. Whom do we commemorate on this day ? 

A. All who have died in the Christian 
Faith. 

Q. How should we keep all the Saints' 
days ? 

A. In loving memory of the dead, and by 
trying' to follow the example of their holy 
lives. 

Q. What are the Ember days % 



110 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. Days of fasting and prayer for those 
who are to be ordained to the ministry. 

Q. When do the Ember days occur? 

A. They are the Wednesday, Friday and 
Saturday after the First Sunday in Lent, 
Whitsunday, September 14th and December 
13th, these being just before the regular times 
for ordination. 

Q. Does the Bible teach us to pray for those 
who are set over us in the Ministry ? 

A. Yes. (II. Thessalonians iii. 1). 

Q. What regular weekly feast day is there 
in the Church ? 

A All Sundays are feast days. 

Q. Of what does every Sunday remind us ? 

A. Of our Lord's Resurrection. 

Q. Who began the custom of keeping Sun- 
day as a Church feast ? 

A The Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
(Acts xx. 7 ; I. Corinthians xvi. 2 ; Revela- 
tion i. 10). 

Q. What day of the week were the Jews 
required to keep sacred ? 

A. The seventh day, called the Sabbath. 
(Exodus xx. 8-10). 

Q. Is this law which was given to the J ews 
binding upon us ? 



THE CHRISTIAN YEAR 111 

A. No; the law of Moses was fulfilled in 
Christ. 

Q. But are we not equally bound to keep 
holy the day which the Church orders to be 
kept ? 

A. Yes; for we are bound to obey the 
Church's law in all these things. 

Q. What offering of our time is due to 
God? 

A. We ought at least to set apart one day in 
the week for the service of God in His 
Church. 

Q. How should we keep Sunday ? 

A. It should be the most joyful of days, for 
on it Christ rose from the dead. 

Q. Is it right to call Sunday the Sabbath ? 

A. No ; Saturday is the Sabbath, and is a 
Jewish feast day. 

Q. What should we do on Sunday ? 

A. We should rest from labor, go to Church, 
and if possible perform deeds of mercy and 
kindness. 

Q. What does the Church teach us about all 
Fridays in the year ? 

A. All Fridays are fast days. 

Q. What should we call to mind on Fri- 
days? 



112 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

A. We should remember how Christ died 
for us on Friday. 

Q. How do we keep fast days? 

A. By denying ourselves in the matter of 
food, and by being sorry for our sins. 



Chapter XXXII. 

CHURCH ORNAMENTS, SYMBOLS AND 
RITUAL 

Q. How do we try to ornament our 

churches ? 

A. So that everything which we see in 
them will teach us some truth. 

Q. What do we call objects which teach 
religious truth ? 

A. Symbols. 

Q. What is the Chief symbol of the Chris- 
tian's Faith ? 
A. The Cross. 

Q. What other symbols did the early Chris- 
tians use to remind them of their belief ? 

A. They used tha Chi Rho, these being 
the Greek letters for Ch. R., the first letters of 
" Christ." 



CHURCH ORNAMENTS, 



113 



Q. What other Greek letters are used to 
remind us of Christ ? 

A. Alpha and Omega (A. and £2.), the first 
and last letters of the Greek alphabet, remind 
us that Christ is the beginning and the end of 
all things. 

Q. What do the letters I. H. S. mean when 
they are used as a Christian symbol ? 

A. These are really three Greek letters and 
are the beginning of the word " Jesus." 

Q. Of what is the triangle, or the three 
leaves joined together, a symbol? 

A. Of the* Holy Trinity, or Three in One. 

Q. Into what two great parts are our 
Church buildings divided ? 

A. Into two ; the Chancel where the minis- 
ter stands, and the Nave, where the people 
are. 

Q. What is the most sacred part of the 
Church? 

A. The Sanctuary, or place where the altar 

is. 

Q. What makes this place sacred ? 

A. The Altar at which is celebrated the 
memorial feast of the Holy Communion. 

Q. How is this place separated from the 
rest of the Church ? 



114 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



A. By an Altar rail. 

Q Who alone should be allowed to go 
within this rail ? 

A. Only the clergy, and those who have 
some work to do about the Altar. 

Q. What shelf is usually put upon the 
Altar? 

A. A retable to hold all ornaments which 
may be used there. 

Q. Ought ornaments to be placed on the 
Altar ? 

A. No ; it is more reverent to put nothing 
on the Altar but the things which are used 
in the service. 

Q. What ornament is usually placed upon 
the retable ? 

A. A cross of wood or metal. 

Q. What does the cross mean when it is put 
on the centre of the retable. 

A. It means that all of our faith and hope 
comes to us through the death of Christ upon 
the cross. 

Q. Are candles ever used as symbols in our 
Churches ? 

A. Yes ; they are sometimes used upon the 
retable. 

Q. What was the origin of this custom ? 



CHURCH ORNAMENTS. 



115 



A. At first candles were used to give light, 
but afterwards they were used for beauty and 
as symbols. 

Q. Of what are they symbols ? 

Q. Of Christ, Who is the Light of the world. 
(S. John i. 7, 8, viii. 12). 

Q. Did God ever order lights to be used in 
His House? 

A. Yes ; Exodus xxv. 31, (Note Revelation 
i. 12, 20, iv. 5). 

Q. What is sometimes used to ornament the 
Altar itself ? 

A. A cloth of some rich material. 

Q. This is usually made in two parts ; what 
are these called ? 

A. The part which covers the front of the 
Altar is called the frontal, and the part which 
covers the top and hangs down to the frontal 
is called the superfrontal. 

Q. What is the Credence ? 

A. The Credence is a shelf at one side of 
the Chancel, to hold the sacred vessels before 
they are needed in the service. 

Q. What are the robes of the clergy called ? 

A. Vestments. 

Q. What is a cassock ? 

A. A long black coat worn under other 
vestments. 



116 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. "What is a surplice ? 
A. A loose white vestment worn at all or- 
dinary services. 

Q. What is a stole ? 

A. A band or scarf worn by the Priest over 
his shoulder and hanging down in front. 
Q. What is an alb ? 

A. Along white robe worn at the Com- 
munion service. 

Q. What is a chasuble ? 

A. A vestment worn by a priest over the 
alb. 

Q. Why are the alb and chasuble worn at 
the Communion service? 

A. Because they w^ere ordered to be so used 
many years ago, and they mark the Commu- 
nion as a special service. 

Q. What is placed upon the Altar at the 
time of the Communion service ? 

A. A fair linen cloth. 

Q. Are any other pieces of linen used in 
the service ? 

A. Yes, several smaller pieces for reverence 
and convenience. 

Q. What are the silver vessels called which 
are used in this service ? 

A. A Paten, or plate for the bread ; a 



CHURCH ORNAMENTS. 



117 



Chalice, or cup for the wine ; and a Flagon, or 
Cruets to hold the wine before it is poured 
out. 

Q. What does the priest sometimes place 
under the sacred vessels and upon the Altar? 

A. A square of linen called a Corporal, to 
catch any crumbs that might fall from the 
Paten, 

Q. What is used to keep this corporal 
always fresh and clean ? 

A. It lias a case, called a Burse, to hold it. 

Q. What is put over the Chalice to prevent 
anything from falling into it ? 

A. A square of cardboard covered with 
linen, which is called a Pall. 

Q. What is placed over both Paten and 
Chalice before and after Communion ? 

A. A Veil. 

Q. What is the name of the small square of 
linen with which the priest wipes the sacred 
vessels clean after all have received the Com- 
munion? 

A. It is called a Purificator. 

Q. What colours are used in our Church as 
symbols ? 

A. White, Red, Purple, Green and Black. 
Q. What is white a symbol of ? 



118 



THE CIIKISTIAN FAITH. 



A. Of joy ; and it is used on the joyful fes- 
tivals of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. "What does red teach ? 

A. Red teaches the idea of zeal or courage, 
and is used on the days of Martyrs who were 
brave unto death. 

Q. What other reason is there for using red 
on Martyrs' days ? 

A. To remind us how they shed their blood 
for Christ. 

Q. Why is red used on Whitsunday ? 

A. To remind us how the Holy Ghost came 
down upon the Church in the shape of red 
tongues of fire, giving zeal and courage to 
those who received Him. 

Q. Of what is purple the symbol? 

A. Purple is the quiet colour of sorrow or 
mourning. 

Q. When is purple used, and w T hy ? 

A. Chiefly in Advent and Lent ; because in 
these seasons we are to be specially sorry for 
our sins. 

Q. When is black used ? 

A. On Good Friday, which is the Church's 
day of deepest mourning. 

Q. When is green used ? 

A. On all the ordinary days of the year. 

Q. Why? 



CHURCH ORNAMENTS. 



119 



A. Because green is the ordinary colour of 
the world, and it teaches us in our ordinary 
daily lives to follow Christ our Lord. 

Q. Is there another reason for using green 
on these days ? 

A. Yes ; because Christ entered into the 
common life of man, and we use green to show 
that we all belong to Him. 

Q. In what way is it good to use these 
colours ? 

A. Only to remind us of great truths and of 
our Christian duty. 

Q. Is there any meaning in the position of 
our bodies in divine service ? 

A. Yes ; we kneel in prayer, stand in praise, 
and sit to hear the Word of God. 

Q. Why does the minister in the service 
turn sometimes to the people and sometimes 
toward the Altar ? 

A. He turns to the people when he is speak- 
ing to them in God's name; and he turns 
toward the Altar when he is speaking to God 
in their name, or with them. 



120 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, 



Chapter XXXIII. 

Q. Whose life are Christians told to imi- 
tate ? 

A. The life of Jesus Christ their Lord. 

Q. What was the character of His life ? 

A. He lived a sinless life for the glory of 
God and for the good of men. 

Q. What three lines of duty are laid down 
for man ? 

A. Duty to his God, duty to his neighbour 
and duty to himself. 

Q. What is the sum of man's duty toward 
God? 

A. To love Him above all else. . 

Q. Why should we love God ? 

A. Because He loves us and watches over 
every minute of our lives. 

Q. What does God ask us to do as our duty 
toward Him ? 

A. To worship Him by prayer and thanks- 
giving. 

Q. When should we do this ? 
A. In church, and also every morning and 
evening- at home. 



CHURCH ORNAMENTS. 



121 



Q. Why does God require tins ? 

A. For His glory and for our good, that we 
may learn to know Him, and so fit ourselves 
to live with Him in Heaven. 

Q. What is our duty to our neighbour ? 

A. To love him as ourselves. 

Q. What does this mean? 

A. It means that we are to be unselfish and 
thoughtful for others. 

Q. Is this also for our own good ? 

A. Yes ; it makes us happier both now and 
in the next world. 

Q. If we love our neighbours better than 
ourselves, what kind of people shall we be? 

A. We shall be honest, faithful, kind and 
forgiving. 

Q. What is our duty to ourselves ? 

A. To keep ourselves pure from every evil. 

Q. Why should we do this? 

A. Because our bodies are the temples of 
God's Holy Spirit. 

Q. Where are we taught this solemn truth ? 

A. In I. Corinthians iii. 16, 17. "Know ye 
not that ye are the temple of God, and that the 
Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? If any man 
defile the temple of God, him shall God de- 
stroy ; for the temple of God is holy, which 
temple ye are." 



122 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. How can we defile the temple of God ? 

A. By sin in thought, word, or deed. 

Q. What other reason is there for keeping 
ourselves from sin? 

A. Out of love for God, Whose only Son 
died to save us from sin. 

Q. Can we enter Heaven so long as sin is in 
us ? 

A. No ; we must try to put away sin and 
become fit for Heaven. 

Q. Does God expect us never to commit 
sin? 

A. ISTo ; that would be impossible for us, 
but God expects us to try with all our might 
to resist sin. 



Chapter XXXIY. 

DEATH. 

Q. What is Death ? 

A. It is the separation of man's soul from 
his body. 

Q. Is death the end of man ? 

A. No ; but it is the end of man's life on 
earth. 

Q. What happens to the body at death ? 



PARADISE. 123 

A. It returns to the earth from which it 
came. 

Q. What happens to the soul ? 

A. It is carried to a place called Paradise. 

Q. Does the soul die ? 

A. No ; the soul is immortal. 

Q. How should we think of death? 

A. We should think of death solemnly, but 
not with dread. 

Q. Why should a Christian have no horror 
of death? 

A. No Christian need fear to go where 
Christ has been before him. 

Q. How should we prepare for death ? 

A. We should be prepared for death by liv- 
ing according to God's will. 

Q. What choice must we make before we 
die? 

A. We must choose between Good and Evil, 
between God and Satan. 



Chapter XXXY. 

PARADISE. 

Q. What is Paradise ? 

A. The place in which the souls of those 
who die wait for the Judgment of God. 



124 THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

Q. "Is Paradise the same as Heaven ? 
A. No. 

Q. How can we learn this clearly from the 
example of Christ's life and death ? 

A. When Christ died His soul went to Par- 
adise ; but He did not go to Heaven until after 
the Resurrection of His body. 

Q. How do you know that His soul went to 
Paradise first ? 

A. On the Cross, He said to the dying thief, 
" To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." 
(S. Luke xxiii. 43). 

Q. How do you know that this did not 
mean Heaven ? 

A. Because after His resurrection He said 
to Mary Magdalene, " I am not yet ascended 
to My Father." (S. John xx. 17). 

Q. Has any man except Jesus ever gone to 
Heaven ? 

A. No. (S. John iii. 13). 

Q. Are the souls in Paradise asleep ? 

A. No ; they know what is about them. (S. 
Luke xvi. 19-31. I. Peter iii. 19. Revela, 
tion v. 9, 10). 

Q. What are the souls in Paradise waiting 
for? 

A. For the Resurrection of their bodies, and 

the Judgment. 



HEAVEN. 125 

Q. What is the state of the righteous ? 

A. They are in peace, and have also a fore- 
taste of the greater joy of Heaven. 

Q. What does God do for them in Para- 
dise ? 

A. He makes them ready for the life of 
Heaven. 

Q. How is this done? 

A. They are free from temptation; and, 
their eyes being open, they grow holier 
through the knowledge and love of God. 

Q. What is the state of the wicked ? 

A. They are in misery ; and they look for- 
ward to the greater punishment of Hell. 

Q. What is Hell ? 

A. The place of darkness reserved for those 
who cannot enter Heaven. 



Chapter XXXYI. 
HEAVEN. 

Q. What is Heaven ? 
A. The immediate presence of God. 
Q. When will men be received into Heaven ? 
A. After the Resurrection and the Judg- 
ment. 



126 



THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 



Q. What is the Resurrection ? 

A. The rising of men's bodies from death to 
be joined once more to their souls. 

Q. How do we know that there will be such 
a resurrection of the body ? 

A. Because Christ rose in the body, and He 
is called the first fruits of those who sleep. (I. 
Corinthians xv. 20). 

Q. In the Resurrection will our bodies be 
just as they are now ? 

A. No; they must be changed and made 
like Christ's body. (Philippians iii. 20, 21). 

Q. What kind of bodies will they be? 

A. Spiritual bodies. 

Q. Where must all men stand at the time of 
the Resurrection ? 

A. Before Christ to be judged. (Romans 
xiv. 10). 

Q, What reward will He give to those who 
have tried to serve Him ? 

A. He will take them into Heaven to live 
forever with Him. (S. Matthew xxv. -11—16). 

Q. What will be done to those who have 
denied Him ? 

A. They will be cast into outer darkness. 
(S. Matthew xxv. 31-40). 

Q. Can the wicked ever be received into 
Heaven ? . 



HEAVEN. 



127 



A. There is no word of Scripture which says 
that they can. 

Q. May we hope that God will receive them 
at the last ? 

A. We must not dare to hope for things 
about which God has not chosen to speak. 

Q. May we trust to God to do what is 
right ? 

A. Yes ; for we know that whatever God 
does is both loving and just. 

Q. What is the only safe plan for us ? 

A. To live so that we may be fit for 
Heaven. 

Q. How is it possible that man can enter 
God's home in Heaven ? 

A, Because God has joined man to Himself 
in Jesus Christ His Son. 



